权 quán — authority; power; right
每个人都有学习的权利。Měi ge rén dōu yǒu xué xí de quán lì.Everyone has the right to learn.
Common words: 权利 (quán lì)、权力 (quán lì)、权威 (quán wēi)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "authority"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "authority", including 权 (quán), 柄 (bǐng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "authority" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 权 (quán), 柄 (bǐng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span quán, bǐng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 权 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 权 quánauthority; power; rightUseful words: 权利, 权力
- 柄 bǐngauthority; handle; hiltUseful words: 把柄, 国柄
Common words for these 2 "authority" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 权 (quán) — so "authority" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "authority".
柄 bǐng — authority; handle; hilt
这把雨伞的伞柄断了。Zhè bǎ yǔ sǎn de sǎn bǐng duàn le.The handle of this umbrella is broken.
Common words: 把柄 (bǎ bǐng)、国柄 (guó bǐng)、柄国 (bǐng guó)
All 2 characters
Open 权、柄 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.