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优先权 (yōu xiān quán) — priority; preferential right (e.g., in queue, application, or legal context)

Definition

noun
prioritypreferential right (e.g., in queue, application, or legal context)

Examples

  • ，优先权。
    Zài shēn qǐng dà xué shí, tuì wǔ jūn rén yǒu yōu xiān quán.
    Veterans have priority when applying to universities.
  • 优先权。
    Zhè tàng háng bān wèi shāng wù cāng chéng kè tí gōng dēng jī yōu xiān quán.
    This flight offers boarding priority for business-class passengers.
  • ，优先权。
    Zài zhuān lì fǎ zhōng, shǒu cì shēn qǐng zhě xiǎng yǒu yōu xiān quán.
    In patent law, the first applicant enjoys priority.

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.

优先priority
优yōupreferential先xiānfirst
偏正Modifier + head
权quánright

优 (preferential), 先 (first), and 权 (right) combine to mean a right to be put first.

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 優; 优 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
憂
憂yōu優yōu
Same sound today

The traditional form 優 combines 亻 (人, person) with 憂 for the sound; the simplified 优 is a later abbreviation.

Open 优 →

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

先 combines 止 (foot) and 儿 (person) to show someone moving forward.

Open 先 →

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
Law & Justice

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