Meaning

Primary

To Attack

Alternative

To Assail

Word Type

transitive verb, ichidan verb

Explanation

You don't say "to aggression." When you do aggression on someone, you're probably doing something to hurt them in some way. This is an attack, making this word to attack.

攻める means to attack or advance on an enemy in battle, but it can also apply to making a strong or proactive move in competitions like sports, business, or games. It can also be used to describe taking bold actions, like moving ahead with a risky plan.

Reading

せめる
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:

To attack someone, use a celery () stick. Celery is not a deadly weapon but most people hate it, so it's perfect to casually attack someone, especially those who hate celery.

Context

Context Sentences

明日、敵の城を攻めるぞ。

Tomorrow, we will attack the enemy's castle.

ご質問ありがとうございます。中々難しいところを攻めてきますね。

Thank you for your question. You’re tackling a rather difficult point.

そのピッチャーはバッターを変化球で攻めることが多い。

That pitcher often assaults batters with curve balls.

理屈は抜きにして、とりあえず攻めて攻めて攻めまくりました。

Setting logic aside, I just kept pushing and pushing relentlessly.

Kanji Composition