TongTong
Sign in

攻关 (gōng guān) — to tackle a key problem, to overcome a difficult challenge (figurative); to storm a strategic pass (literal)

Definition

攻关 focuses on actively tackling a hard problem through sustained effort. Compared with 攻克 (overcome/conquer) and 突破 (break through to a new level), it emphasizes the process of working on a key technical or strategic challenge.

verb
to tackle a key problem, to overcome a difficult challenge (figurative)to storm a strategic pass (literal)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 攻关。
    Tuán duì chéng yuán zhèng zài gōng guān zhè ge jì shù nán tí.
    The team members are tackling this technical problem.
  • 攻关。
    Wǒ men bì xū gōng guān jǐ gè hé xīn wèn tí cái néng wán chéng xiàng mù.
    We must overcome several core issues to complete the project.
  • 攻关。
    Èr zhàn shí zhè zhī bù duì céng duō cì gōng guān dí jūn yào sài.
    During WWII, this unit stormed enemy fortresses many times.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

攻gōngattack
关guānpass

攻 (attack) and 关 (pass) combine to mean storming a strategic pass, or tackling a key problem.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūhand holding a tool or weapon
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng攻gōng
Same sound today

攻 puts 工, which gives the pronunciation, beside 攵, a hand holding a tool or weapon.

Open 攻 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méndoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢇅
𢇅𢇅關guān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Open 关 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.