Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== shòuquán: 授权 - Authorize, Grant Authority, Empower ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** shouquan, shòuquán, 授权, authorize in Chinese, grant permission Chinese, empower in Chinese, license in Chinese, Chinese word for authorization, shou quan meaning, 授权 meaning, formal permission, legal authority * **Summary:** Learn the crucial Chinese term **授权 (shòuquán)**, which means to authorize, empower, or grant authority. This page breaks down its meaning, from business and legal contexts to tech and app permissions. Understand how **授权 (shòuquán)** is used in modern China, its cultural significance related to hierarchy, and how it differs from simple "permission." This guide is essential for anyone navigating formal or professional situations in Chinese. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** shòuquán * **Part of Speech:** Verb, Noun * **HSK Level:** HSK 6 * **Concise Definition:** To formally grant power, rights, or permission to someone or something; authorization. * **In a Nutshell:** **授权 (shòuquán)** is not your everyday, casual permission. It's a formal act of bestowing authority. Think of it as officially handing over a key. A manager **授权 (shòuquán)** an employee to sign a contract. You **授权 (shòuquán)** an app to access your contacts. It implies a transfer of power from someone who has it to someone who needs it to perform a specific action. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **授 (shòu):** To grant, to give, to award. This character contains the "hand" radical (手), depicting the action of one person giving something to another. * **权 (quán):** Power, authority, rights. This character is fundamental to concepts of control and influence in Chinese. * Together, **授权 (shòuquán)** literally means "to give power" or "to grant authority," a direct and accurate representation of its modern meaning. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== While "authorization" is a universal concept, **授权 (shòuquán)** in China is deeply tied to the cultural importance of hierarchy and official procedure. In many Western contexts, authorization might be a procedural step. In China, it is a clear act reinforcing a hierarchical structure. The person who can **授权 (shòuquán)** is explicitly the one with the **权 (quán)**, or power. This act is often not complete with a mere verbal agreement or email. It frequently requires a formal document, and most importantly, the company's official red seal or chop (公章 - gōngzhāng). Attempting to act without the proper, formally documented **授权** is a serious misstep, as it's seen as circumventing the established chain of command and showing disrespect for the hierarchy. This contrasts with some Western business cultures where a degree of empowered autonomy might be more assumed. In China, it's safer and more respectful to always seek explicit **授权**. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== **授权 (shòuquán)** is a formal and very common term in professional, legal, and digital life. * **In Business:** This is its most common habitat. A superior **授权 (shòuquán)** a subordinate. A head office **授权 (shòuquán)** a branch office. It's used for delegating tasks, approving expenditures, and giving someone the power to act on behalf of the company. A formal "letter of authorization" is an **授权书 (shòuquánshū)**. * **In Technology:** Every time you install an app and it asks for permission to access your camera, contacts, or location, you are being asked to **授权** it. The pop-up button often says "允许" (yǔnxǔ - permit), but the underlying concept is **授权**. * **In Law:** It's used for granting power of attorney, where someone is legally authorized to act on another's behalf. * **In Intellectual Property (IP):** This refers to licensing. Disney might **授权** a Chinese company to produce and sell toys with Mickey Mouse on them. These are called **官方授权 (guānfāng shòuquán)** products, or "officially authorized" products. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 我**授权**你代表公司签署这份合同。 * Pinyin: Wǒ **shòuquán** nǐ dàibiǎo gōngsī qiānshǔ zhè fèn hétong. * English: I authorize you to sign this contract on behalf of the company. * Analysis: A classic business example. A person in a position of power is formally granting a subordinate the right to perform a specific, high-stakes action. * **Example 2:** * 这个应用请求**授权**以访问您的相册。 * Pinyin: Zhège yìngyòng qǐngqiú **shòuquán** yǐ fǎngwèn nín de xiàngcè. * English: This application requests authorization to access your photo album. * Analysis: This sentence demonstrates the use of **授权** in a technology context. Here, it functions as a noun, "authorization." * **Example 3:** * 未经**授权**，任何人不得进入该区域。 * Pinyin: Wèi jīng **shòuquán**, rènhé rén bùdé jìnrù gāi qūyù. * English: Without authorization, no one is permitted to enter this area. * Analysis: A formal, official warning. This highlights the negative form, "without authorization," and its use as a noun. * **Example 4:** * 他已经**授权**给他的律师处理所有法律事务。 * Pinyin: Tā yǐjīng **shòuquán** gěi tā de lǜshī chǔlǐ suǒyǒu fǎlǜ shìwù. * English: He has already authorized his lawyer to handle all legal affairs. * Analysis: This is a typical legal use of the term, equivalent to granting power of attorney. * **Example 5:** * 这家商店只卖官方**授权**的商品。 * Pinyin: Zhè jiā shāngdiàn zhǐ mài guānfāng **shòuquán** de shāngpǐn. * English: This shop only sells officially authorized merchandise. * Analysis: Here, **授权** is used as part of an adjective phrase modifying "merchandise." This is very common in the context of brand licensing and intellectual property. * **Example 6:** * 你需要拿到经理的**授权书**才能提取这笔资金。 * Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào nádào jīnglǐ de **shòuquánshū** cáinéng tíqǔ zhè bǐ zījīn. * English: You need to get a letter of authorization from the manager to be able to withdraw these funds. * Analysis: This example introduces the compound noun **授权书 (shòuquánshū)**, the physical document that proves authorization. * **Example 7:** * 总公司撤销了对分公司的销售**授权**。 * Pinyin: Zǒnggōngsī chèxiāo le duì fēngōngsī de xiāoshòu **shòuquán**. * English: The head office revoked the sales authorization for the branch office. * Analysis: This shows that authorization can be taken away. "撤销授权 (chèxiāo shòuquán)" means "to revoke authorization." * **Example 8:** * 董事会**授权**成立一个特别调查委员会。 * Pinyin: Dǒngshìhuì **shòuquán** chénglì yī gè tèbié diàochá wěiyuánhuì. * English: The board of directors authorized the establishment of a special investigation committee. * Analysis: This shows authorization at a high corporate or organizational level, granting the power to create a new entity. * **Example 9:** * 我的**授权**范围是什么？ * Pinyin: Wǒ de **shòuquán** fànwéi shì shénme? * English: What is the scope of my authorization? * Analysis: A practical and important question in a professional setting. It highlights that authorization often comes with limits (**范围 - fànwéi**). * **Example 10:** * 他被**授权**可以完全访问该项目的所有文件。 * Pinyin: Tā bèi **shòuquán** kěyǐ wánquán fǎngwèn gāi xiàngmù de suǒyǒu wénjiàn. * Tā bèi **shòuquán** kěyǐ wánquán fǎngwèn gāi xiàngmù de suǒyǒu wénjiàn. * English: He was authorized to have full access to all of the project's files. * Analysis: This uses the passive structure **被 (bèi)**, which is very common with **授权**. It emphasizes the person receiving the authorization. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== A common pitfall for learners is confusing **授权 (shòuquán)** with more general words for permission, like **允许 (yǔnxǔ)** or **同意 (tóngyì)**. * **授权 (shòuquán):** Formal transfer of authority/power/rights. It's hierarchical. (A boss **授权** an employee). * **允许 (yǔnxǔ):** To permit, to allow. More general and can be informal. It's about letting someone do something, not necessarily giving them power. (A mother **允许** her child to go out and play). * **同意 (tóngyì):** To agree, to consent. It's about being of the same opinion, not about granting permission from a position of power. (Two colleagues **同意** on a plan). **Incorrect Usage:** You want to borrow your friend's pen. * **Wrong:** 请**授权**我用你的笔。 (Qǐng **shòuquán** wǒ yòng nǐ de bǐ.) - This sounds absurdly formal and robotic, as if you're asking your friend to legally empower you to use their pen. * **Correct:** 我可以用一下你的笔吗？ (Wǒ kěyǐ yòng yīxià nǐ de bǐ ma?) - "Can I use your pen for a bit?" This is natural and appropriate. Using **授权** in a casual context where no real authority is being transferred is a common and often amusing mistake for learners. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[权力]] (quánlì) - Power, authority. The "power" that is being granted in **授权**. * [[权限]] (quánxiàn) - Scope of authority, jurisdiction. Defines the limits of a given **授权**. * [[批准]] (pīzhǔn) - To approve, to ratify. The act of formally approving a request, which often precedes the act of **授权**. * [[委托]] (wěituō) - To entrust, to commission. Similar to **授权**, but often implies entrusting a specific, ongoing responsibility or task to someone. * [[授权书]] (shòuquánshū) - Letter of authorization, power of attorney. The official document that proves **授权**. * [[许可证]] (xǔkězhèng) - A license, a permit. The official certificate one receives after being authorized to do something (e.g., a driver's license). * [[允许]] (yǔnxǔ) - To permit, to allow. A more general and less formal synonym for giving permission. * [[同意]] (tóngyì) - To agree, to consent. A different concept related to agreement rather than the granting of power. * [[官方]] (guānfāng) - Official. Often seen paired with **授权** as in **官方授权** (official authorization).