Inklingo
← Dictionary

atacan

ah-TAH-kahn/aˈtakan/

“atacan” means “they attack” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

they attack, you all attack

Also: they are attacking
VerbA2regular with spelling change ar
A group of knights in armor charging forward with shields and wooden swords.
gerundatacando
past Participleatacado
infinitiveatacar

📝 In Action

Los leones atacan en grupo para cazar.

A2

Lions attack in a group to hunt.

Ustedes atacan el problema desde el ángulo equivocado.

B1

You all are attacking the problem from the wrong angle.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • atacan por sorpresa – they attack by surprise
  • atacan con fuerza – they attack with force

they criticize

Also: they challenge
VerbB1regular ar
A group of people pointing at a messy painting and making disapproving faces.

📝 In Action

Los críticos atacan la nueva película del director.

B1

The critics are attacking the director's new movie.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • atacan la credibilidad – they attack the credibility

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesatajaran
yoatacara
túatacaras
vosotrosatacarais
nosotrosatacáramos
él/ella/ustedatacara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesataquen
yoataque
túataques
vosotrosataquéis
nosotrosataquemos
él/ella/ustedataque

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesatacaron
yoataqué
túatacaste
vosotrosatacasteis
nosotrosatacamos
él/ella/ustedatacó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesatacaban
yoatacaba
túatacabas
vosotrosatacabais
nosotrosatacábamos
él/ella/ustedatacaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesatacan
yoataco
túatacas
vosotrosatacáis
nosotrosatacamos
él/ella/ustedataca
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "atacan" in Spanish:

they attack→they challenge→they criticize→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: atacan

Question 1 of 1

Which of these sentences means 'The viruses attack the cells'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
ataque(attack) — Noun
atacante(attacker) — Noun
contraatacar(to counter-attack) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Italian word 'attaccare', which originally meant to join or fasten things together, but later evolved to mean starting a battle.

First recorded: 16th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: attaquerEnglish: attackItalian: attaccare

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'atacan' always mean a physical fight?

No. It is often used in sports (attacking the goal) or in medicine (bacteria attacking the body).

What is the difference between 'ataca' and 'atacan'?

'Ataca' is for one person (he/she/it attacks), while 'atacan' is for multiple people (they/you all attack).