决定权 (jué dìng quán) — decision-making power; the right or authority to make decisions

Definition

noun
decision-making powerthe right or authority to make decisions

Examples

  • 决定权
    Gōng sī de jué dìng quán zhǎng wò zài dǒng shì huì shǒu zhōng.
    The company's decision-making power rests with the board of directors.
  • 决定权
    Jiā tíng dà shì yīng dāng yóu fū qī gòng tóng xíng shǐ jué dìng quán.
    Major family matters should be decided jointly by husband and wife exercising equal decision-making power.
  • 决定权
    Zhèng fǔ bì xū bǎo zhàng gōng mín de jué dìng quán.
    The government must safeguard citizens' decision-making power.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

决定decision
juédecidedìngdetermine
联合Coordinate

决定 refers to making a choice, and 权 is the right or authority over it.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 決; 决 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Written in full asshuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
guàijué
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 決 has 氵 (water) and 夬, which gives the sound. This describes 決, not the simplified 决.

Open 决 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhèngdìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 權; 权 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
tree
Sound part声符shēngfú
guànquán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 權 shows 木, a tree, with 雚 giving the sound; it named a kind of tree and was used for a standard weight. The simplified 权 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 权 →

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