attack

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 攻 has 7 strokes and the on-reading こう. 攻める (せめる) means to attack or target; 専攻 (せんこう) means an academic major.
• Basic usage: 攻める concerns targeting an opponent's weak point or a market. 専攻 refers to a field studied in depth.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Targeting and majoring
  • 右側から攻めた identifies the direction of an attack from the right. 海外市場を攻める figuratively describes targeting overseas markets with one's own technology.
  • 近代史を専攻している means majoring in modern history. In 自分の専攻, 専攻 functions as a noun naming one's field of study.