Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 攻 (gōng) evolved from ancient pictographs showing a hand holding a tool or weapon striking against something hard. It combines the radical 工 (work/tool) with 攵 (strike/hit), originally meaning 'to attack' or 'to assault.' Over time, its meaning expanded to include 'to study intensively' and 'to specialize in,' reflecting the concept of applying force or effort toward a goal. In Liushutong, L00407 shows an early form where the components are clearly recognizable as a tool being wielded forcefully. Arrived in Japan: The character 攻 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with other Chinese characters through cultural exchange with Korean kingdoms and Chinese immigrants. It was formally adopted into the Japanese writing system during the systematic introduction of Chinese literature and Buddhism, becoming part of the Japanese kanji repertoire by the Nara period (710-794 CE).