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执掌 (zhí zhǎng) — to be in charge of; to wield (power/authority); to manage (formal)

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to wield / hold' power, authority, or control over an organization — used in official or written contexts (e.g. 执掌大权), not everyday speech.

verb
to be in charge ofto wield (power/authority)to manage (formal)

Examples

  • 执掌。
    Tā zhí zhǎng gōng sī de cái wù.
    He is in charge of the company's finances.
  • 执掌。
    Zǒng lǐ zhí zhǎng dà quán.
    The prime minister wields great power.
  • 执掌。
    Tā zhí zhǎng zhè ge bù mén yǐ jīng shí nián le.
    She has been in charge of this department for ten years.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

执zhíhold
掌zhǎngmanage

The characters for holding and managing combine to mean taking control.

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 執; 执 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔criminal / handcuffs
  • 丮丮jǐhand

The traditional form 執 shows 㚔, a handcuffed criminal, with 丮, a hand, giving the idea of arrest. The simplified 执 is a later shorthand, so its current parts are not the original pieces.

Open 执 →

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
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng掌zhǎng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

It combines 手, meaning hand, with 尚, which gives it a sound close to shàng.

Open 掌 →
Appears in
Management

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