How to Write 抨 (pēng) — Meaning “to strike; to attack (verbally)”

Imagine a hand (扌) throwing a "ping-pong" ball (平 sounds like 'ping') at someone's face — that's a verbal attack! The visual of a hand smacking a flat ball helps link the hand radical and the sound pēng to the meaning of striking or criticizing.

Write the left radical 扌 first with three strokes (horizontal, vertical hook, lift), then the right part 平 with five strokes (horizontal, dot, left-falling, horizontal, vertical). Keep the two sides balanced — the left side is narrower and slightly shorter, while the right side is wider and extends a bit lower. A common mistake is making the right side too tall, so ensure the horizontal stroke of 平 aligns with the middle of the left hand.

抨 (pēng) uses the phonetic 平 and means 'to strike or attack verbally' (e.g., 抨击). In contrast, 托 (tuō) has the phonetic 乇 and means 'to hold in the palm; to entrust' (e.g., 委托). Visually, the right side of 抨 has a flat horizontal line (平), while 托 has a curved, top-hooked shape (乇). Their meanings are completely different — one is aggressive, the other is supportive.

抨 is used mainly in formal or written Chinese in words like 抨击 ('to lash out at, to criticize severely'), often in political or media contexts. For example, newspapers might 抨击 a policy or public figure. It carries a strong, negative tone of public denunciation — not casual conversation. You might see 抨 in official editorials or academic critique, but it's not used in everyday speech.

Common words containing 抨 include: 抨击 (pēng jī) — to attack (verbally); to lash out at; to criticize; 抨弹 (pēng tán) — to criticize; to impeach; 抨击错误 (pēng jī cuò wù) — to criticize mistakes.