atacar

Atacar is a Spanish verb meaning to attack. It is used transitively to express an action directed at a person, animal, object, or idea, and appears in literal senses (military offensives, physical assault, sports tactics) as well as figurative ones (to attack a problem, to attack someone’s argument). It commonly takes a direct object: ataco a los enemigos, atacaron la defensa, atacar la idea.

Grammar and conjugation: Atacar is a regular -ar verb in many tenses but exhibits a spelling change in the preterite to preserve pronunciation: ataqué, atacaste, atacó, atacamos, atacasteis, atacaron. In the present indicative the forms are ataco, atacas, ataca, atacamos, atacáis, atacan. The imperfect is atacaba, atacabas, atacaba, atacábamos, atacabais, atacaban. The future is atacaré, atacarás, atacará, atacaremos, atacaréis, atacarán. The present subjunctive is ataque, ataques, ataque, ataquemos, ataquéis, ataquen. The affirmative and negative commands are: ataca (tú), ataque (usted), ataquemos, atacad (vosotros), ataquen (ustedes).

Nouns and related forms: The corresponding noun is ataque (an attack), and atacante refers to an attacker. The verb can be used in various registers and domains, including military, sports, cybersecurity (ataque informático), and political rhetoric.

Etymology: Atacar derives from the influence of French attaquer, incorporated into Spanish in the early modern period, reflecting common Romance-language borrowing.