How to Say "to attack" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to attack” is “atacar” — use 'atacar' when referring to physical or military attacks, such as an animal attacking prey or an army attacking a city.
atacar
ah-tah-KAHRataˈkaɾ
Examples
El león intentó atacar a la cebra.
The lion tried to attack the zebra.
Las fuerzas enemigas atacaron al amanecer.
The enemy forces attacked at dawn.
Spelling Change in Preterite 'Yo'
To keep the hard 'k' sound of the 'c' before the vowel 'e', the 'c' changes to 'qu' only in the 'yo' form of the preterite (ataqué).
Incorrect Preterite Spelling
Mistake: “Yo atacé (with a 'z' sound)”
Correction: Yo ataqué. Remember that 'c' sounds like 's' or 'th' before 'e' or 'i', so you must use 'qu' to keep the hard 'k' sound.
agredir
ah-gray-DEERa.ɣɾe.ˈðiɾ
Examples
El hombre intentó agredir al policía durante la protesta.
The man tried to attack the police officer during the protest.
Nunca es aceptable agredir a alguien por sus ideas.
It is never acceptable to verbally attack someone for their ideas.
Fue agredida por un desconocido en la calle.
She was assaulted by a stranger in the street.
The 'Personal A'
Since agredir usually involves a person receiving the action, you must use 'a' before the victim. For example: 'Agredió a su vecino' (He attacked his neighbor).
Modern Usage
Historically, this word was 'defective' (only used when the ending started with an 'i'), but in modern Spanish, it is used as a full, regular verb in all forms.
Missing the 'A'
Mistake: “Agredió el hombre.”
Correction: Agredió al hombre. (Because the man is a person receiving the action, you need the 'a'.)
Atacar vs. Agredir
Related Translations
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