TongTong
Sign in

实权 (shí quán) — real power; actual authority

Definition

Real, substantive power — as opposed to a title that looks powerful but carries no actual decision-making authority. Compare 权力 (authority as a general concept) vs 实权 (authority you can actually exercise).

noun
real poweractual authority

Examples

  • ，实权。
    Tā suī rán zhí wèi gāo, dàn méi yǒu shén me shí quán.
    Although he has a high position, he doesn't have much real power.
  • 实权。
    Gōng sī de shí quán zhǎng wò zài jǐ gè gǔ dōng shǒu lǐ.
    The real power of the company is in the hands of a few shareholders.
  • ，实权。
    Míng yì shàng tā shì lǐng dǎo, shí jì shang shí quán zài mì shū nà lǐ.
    In name he is the leader, but in reality the real power lies with the secretary.

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.

实shíreal/substantial
权quánpower

“实” gives the sense of real or substantial, while “权” means power, so together they mean actual authority.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 實; 实 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánroof
  • 周周zhōucarved jade
  • 貝貝bèishellfish; cowrie

The traditional form 實 has 宀 'roof' above 周 'carved jade' and 貝 'cowrie'; the simplified 实 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 实 →

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn權quán
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 →
Appears in
Government & PoliticsManagement

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.