极权 (jí quán) — totalitarianism

Definition

noun
totalitarianism

Examples

  • 极权。
    Zhè ge guó jiā céng jīng shí xíng guò jí quán tǒng zhì.
    This country once implemented totalitarian rule.
  • 极权。
    Hěn duō rén mín dōu fǎn duì jí quán zhèng quán.
    Many people oppose the totalitarian regime.
  • 极权。
    jí quán Zhì dù yā zhì le yán lùn zì yóu.
    The totalitarian system suppresses freedom of speech.

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.

极jíextreme
权quánpower

极 means extreme and 权 means power, together conveying all-reaching control.

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
木木mùtree, wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí极jí
Same sound today

极 pairs 木 (tree, wood) with 及, which provides the sound.

Open 极 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.