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权限 (quán xiàn) — scope of authority, extent of power (in an organization or hierarchy); access permissions, privileges (in computing or system management)

Definition

权限 (quánxiàn) is the scope of authority granted to a person or system — what they are officially allowed to do. 特权 emphasizes special or extra rights beyond the norm.

noun
scope of authorityextent of power (in an organization or hierarchy)access permissionsprivileges (in computing or system management)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 权限。
    Tā dān rèn de zhí wèi fù yǔ le tā hěn dà de quán xiàn.
    The position he holds gives him broad authority.
  • 权限。
    Yòng hù bì xū xiān huò dé quán xiàn cái néng xiū gǎi wén jiàn.
    Users must obtain permissions first before they can modify files.
  • 权限。
    Gōng sī duì měi gè bù mén de quán xiàn zuò le míng què guī dìng.
    The company has made clear regulations on each department's scope of authority.

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.

权quánauthority
限xiànlimit

“权” is authority and “限” is a boundary, so the sense is the boundary of authority.

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.

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
⻖Written in full as阜fùmound
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn限xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

限 pairs ⻖ (mound, written 阜) with 艮 as a sound part; the mound side gives the sense of a boundary or limit.

Open 限 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Management

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