决定权 (jué dìng quán) — decision-making power; the right or authority to make decisions

Definition

noun
decision-making powerthe right or authority to make decisions

Examples

  • 决定权。
    Gōng sī de jué dìng quán zhǎng wò zài dǒng shì huì shǒu zhōng.
    The company's decision-making power rests with the board of directors.
  • 决定权。
    Jiā tíng dà shì yīng dāng yóu fū qī gòng tóng xíng shǐ jué dìng quán.
    Major family matters should be decided jointly by husband and wife exercising equal decision-making power.
  • 决定权。
    Zhèng fǔ bì xū bǎo zhàng gōng mín de jué dìng quán.
    The government must safeguard citizens' decision-making power.

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.

决定decision
决juédecide定dìngdetermine
联合Side by side

决定 refers to making a choice, and 权 is the right or authority over it.

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 決; 决 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài決jué
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 決 has 氵 (water) and 夬, which gives the sound. This describes 決, not the simplified 决.

Open 决 →

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

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 →

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