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授权 (shòu quán) — to authorize

Definition

授权 focuses on granting formal authority or rights to someone (e.g. to act, access, or use). Stronger and more official than 允许/许可 (general permission), and emphasizes empowering an agent rather than merely allowing an action.

verb
to authorize

Examples

  • 授权。
    Xiào zhǎng shòu quán lǎo shī chǔ lǐ zhè ge wèn tí.
    The principal authorized the teacher to handle this issue.
  • 授权。
    Zhè ge ruǎn jiàn xū yào shòu quán cái néng shǐ yòng.
    This software requires authorization to use.
  • 授权。
    Tā huò dé le guǎn lǐ bù mén de shòu quán.
    He obtained authorization from the management department.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

授shòugive
权quánauthority

Giving authority expresses authorizing someone.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
受
受shòu授shòu
Same sound today

授 is built from 手 and 受. 受 gives the sound, and 手 is a hand.

Open 授 →

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
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