atacar
“atacar” means “to attack” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to attack, to assault
Also: to charge
📝 In Action
El león intentó atacar a la cebra.
A2The lion tried to attack the zebra.
Las fuerzas enemigas atacaron al amanecer.
B1The enemy forces attacked at dawn.
to criticize, to denounce
Also: to undermine
📝 In Action
La oposición atacó duramente el nuevo presupuesto.
B2The opposition fiercely criticized the new budget.
En su discurso, el político atacó a sus rivales sin piedad.
B2In his speech, the politician attacked his rivals mercilessly.
to tackle, to hit/strike
Also: to dig into
📝 In Action
El equipo decidió atacar el proyecto desde un nuevo ángulo.
B1The team decided to tackle the project from a new angle.
La gripe me atacó con fiebre alta.
B2The flu hit me with a high fever.
¡La cena se ve deliciosa! Vamos a atacarla.
B1Dinner looks delicious! Let's dig into it.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "atacar" in Spanish:
to assault→to attack→to charge→to criticize→to denounce→to tackle→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: atacar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'atacar' in the sense of 'to tackle a difficult task'?
📚 More Resources
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Old French word *attaquer*, which itself derived from an older Frankish or Germanic root meaning 'to attach' or 'to fasten.' The sense evolved from 'to join battle' to the modern meaning of 'to assault.'
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'atacar' always mean something negative?
Not always! While the primary meaning is aggressive (physically or verbally), it can also be used positively or neutrally, especially when talking about 'attacking' a difficult problem or 'attacking' a delicious meal, meaning to tackle it with enthusiasm.
Why does the spelling change in the past tense ('ataqué')?
This is a simple sound rule. In Spanish, 'c' before 'e' or 'i' makes an 's' or 'th' sound (like 'cebolla'). Since 'atacar' needs to keep its hard 'k' sound in the past tense ('yo'), we change the 'c' to 'qu' before the 'e' ending: 'ataqué'.