袭击 (xí jī) — to attack (especially a surprise attack or raid)

Definition

袭击 (xí jī) emphasizes a sudden, surprise attack — a raid or ambush — rather than open combat. Compared with 攻击, it's more covert and unexpected; 进攻 is the broad offensive.

verb

to attack (especially a surprise attack or raid)

Examples

袭击。
Dí rén xí jī le wǒ men de jī dì.
The enemy attacked our base.
袭击。
Zhè cì xí jī zào chéng duō rén shòu shāng.
This attack caused many injuries.
袭击。
Láng qún xí jī le nóng chǎng.
The wolf pack attacked the farm.

Origin

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 襲; 袭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

衣衣yīcloth

Sound part声符shēngfú

龖

龖dá襲xí

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 襲, 衣 shows cloth and 龖 gives the sound; the simplified 袭 is a later shorthand, so its visible parts are not the historical components.

Open 袭 →

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 擊; 击 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

毄

毄jī擊jī

Same sound today

The traditional form 擊 has 手 (hand) and 毄; 毄 gives the sound and also points to striking, while the simplified 击 is a later shorthand.

Open 击 →

Appears in