权衡 (quán héng) — to weigh, to balance (pros and cons); to consid…

Definition

权衡 emphasizes careful mental weighing of competing factors to reach a decision. Compared with 衡量, it focuses more on balancing pros and cons than on measurement; 斟酌 stresses fine-tuning the wording or details of a plan.

verb

to weighto balance (pros and cons)to consider carefully

Examples

，权衡。
Zài zuò jué dìng zhī qián, nǐ yīng gāi quán héng yí xià lì bì.
Before making a decision, you should weigh the pros and cons.
权衡，。
Tā quán héng le gè zhǒng yīn sù, zuì hòu xuǎn zé le zhè ge fāng àn.
He weighed various factors and finally chose this plan.
权衡。
Gōng sī xū yào quán héng duǎn qī lì yì hé cháng qī fā zhǎn.
The company needs to balance short-term profits and long-term development.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

权quánweighing scale

衡héngbalance

权 and 衡 both refer to weighing instruments, so together they mean to weigh or balance a matter.

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 權; 权 is its simplified writing.

木雚權

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 →

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

角角jiǎohorn

大大dàbig

Sound part声符shēngfú

行

行xíng衡héng

Same sound today

衡 uses 行 to hint at its sound, and includes 角 (horn) and 大 (big) as meaning parts.

Open 衡 →

Appears in