chūràng: 出让 - To Transfer (ownership), Cede, Assign

• Keywords: chūràng, 出让, transfer ownership in Chinese, sell land in Chinese, cede territory, assign rights, give up a position, Chinese legal terms, business Chinese, 股权出让, 土地出让.
• Summary: Learn the meaning of 出让 (chūràng), a formal Chinese verb for transferring ownership, rights, or territory. More specific than the simple word “to sell” (卖, mài), chūràng is essential for understanding legal, business, and real estate contexts in China, such as the unique system of transferring land use rights from the government. This guide breaks down its characters, cultural significance, and practical usage with clear examples.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): chūràng
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: To formally transfer the ownership, rights, or position of something to another party.
• In a Nutshell: Forget selling a t-shirt. 出让 (chūràng) is for the big stuff. Think of it as the official, often legally binding, act of “letting go” of something valuable. It's the word used when a government cedes land, a company assigns a patent, or an investor transfers their shares. It carries a weight of formality and significance that simple selling doesn't have.

• 出 (chū): To go out, to exit. The character can be visualized as a plant (屮) sprouting and growing out of the ground (凵). It represents movement from an internal space to an external one.
• 让 (ràng): To yield, to let, to allow, to give way. The left side is the “speech” radical (言), suggesting a verbal agreement or concession. The right side provides the sound.
• The characters combine to mean “to let (something) go out” or “to yield and pass on.” This beautifully captures the essence of 出让—formally releasing something from your possession and allowing it to go to someone else.

The most critical cultural context for 出让 (chūràng) in modern China is its relationship with land. This is where it differs significantly from Western concepts. In the West, particularly in American culture, one can “buy” land and own it outright (a concept called “freehold”). This ownership is theoretically perpetual. In the People's Republic of China, all land is constitutionally owned by the state (urban land) or by collectives (rural land). You cannot “buy” land. Instead, the government 出让 (chūràng) the “right to use the land” (土地使用权, tǔdì shǐyòng quán) to individuals or companies for a fixed term (e.g., 70 years for residential use). This initial transfer from the state to a developer or individual is a formal 出让 process, often done through auctions or tenders. It is the foundation of the entire Chinese real estate market. So, while an American might say “I bought a piece of land,” a person in China would effectively say, “I acquired the land use rights from the government through a chūràng process.” This distinction is fundamental to doing business or understanding property rights in China.

出让 (chūràng) is primarily used in formal, official, or legal settings. You will rarely hear it in casual daily conversation unless discussing a serious topic.

• Business and Legal: This is its most common habitat. It's used for the transfer of assets and rights.
  • 股权出让 (gǔquán chūràng): Transfer of equity/shares.
  • 专利出让 (zhuānlì chūràng): Assignment/transfer of a patent.
  • 商标出让 (shāngbiāo chūràng): Transfer of a trademark.
• Real Estate: As mentioned above, this is central to the property market.
  • 土地使用权出让 (tǔdì shǐyòngquán chūràng): The transfer of land use rights, usually from the government.
• Politics and History: Used to describe the ceding of territory, often in historical treaties.
  • 出让领土 (chūràng lǐngtǔ): To cede territory.
• Concessions and Competitions: In a more abstract sense, it can mean giving up or yielding a valuable position or opportunity, often for the greater good or as a strategic move. The connotation is one of formal concession.

• Example 1:
  • 政府决定出让这块土地七十年的使用权。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ juédìng chūràng zhè kuài tǔdì qīshí nián de shǐyòng quán.
  • English: The government decided to transfer the usage rights for this piece of land for seventy years.
  • Analysis: A classic example of 出让 in its most common context: government transfer of land use rights.
• Example 2:
  • 由于财务困难，他被迫出让了公司的全部股份。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú cáiwù kùnnán, tā bèi pò chūràng le gōngsī de quánbù gǔfèn.
  • English: Due to financial difficulties, he was forced to sell off all his company shares.
  • Analysis: Here, 出让 is used for transferring shares (股份). The word “forced” (被迫) highlights that 出让 can imply a concession made under pressure.
• Example 3:
  • 我们公司正在考虑出让这项非核心技术的专利。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī zhèngzài kǎolǜ chūràng zhè xiàng fēi héxīn jìshù de zhuānlì.
  • English: Our company is considering assigning the patent for this non-core technology.
  • Analysis: This shows 出让 used for intangible assets like patents (专利).
• Example 4:
  • 在那份不平等条约中，清政府出让了大量领土。
  • Pinyin: Zài nà fèn bù píngděng tiáoyuē zhōng, Qīng zhèngfǔ chūràng le dàliàng lǐngtǔ.
  • English: In that unequal treaty, the Qing government ceded a large amount of territory.
  • Analysis: This is the historical and political usage, meaning “to cede.” It carries a very strong and often negative connotation in this context.
• Example 5:
  • 为了让年轻球员有更多机会，这位老将决定出让自己的首发位置。
  • Pinyin: Wèile ràng niánqīng qiúyuán yǒu gèng duō jīhuì, zhè wèi lǎojiàng juédìng chūràng zìjǐ de shǒufā wèizhì.
  • English: In order to give the younger players more opportunities, the veteran player decided to give up his starting position.
  • Analysis: An abstract use. “Selling” the position doesn't make sense here; “transferring” or “yielding” it does. 出让 emphasizes the formal and selfless nature of the act.
• Example 6:
  • 这家百年老店最终被出让给了一家大型连锁集团。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā bǎinián lǎodiàn zuìzhōng bèi chūràng gěi le yījiā dàxíng liánsuǒ jítuán.
  • English: This century-old shop was ultimately sold (transferred) to a large chain conglomerate.
  • Analysis: Used for the sale of an entire business, implying the transfer of all assets, branding, and ownership.
• Example 7:
  • 双方签署了资产出让协议。
  • Pinyin: Shuāngfāng qiānshǔ le zīchǎn chūràng xiéyì.
  • English: Both parties signed the asset transfer agreement.
  • Analysis: A common legal phrase. 出让 is often found in formal contract language.
• Example 8:
  • 为了达成和平协议，他们愿意出让部分经济利益。
  • Pinyin: Wèile dáchéng hépíng xiéyì, tāmen yuànyì chūràng bùfèn jīngjì lìyì.
  • English: In order to reach a peace agreement, they are willing to concede some economic interests.
  • Analysis: Shows 出让 used for making concessions in a negotiation. It means to formally give something up to gain something else.
• Example 9:
  • 这次土地出让的收入将用于城市基础设施建设。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì tǔdì chūràng de shōurù jiāng yòngyú chéngshì jīchǔ shèshī jiànshè.
  • English: The income from this land transfer will be used for urban infrastructure construction.
  • Analysis: Here, 出让 acts almost like a noun, referring to the “act of transfer” or “the sale” itself.
• Example 10:
  • 他不肯出让自己辛苦创立的品牌。
  • Pinyin: Tā bùkěn chūràng zìjǐ xīnkǔ chuànglì de pǐnpái.
  • English: He is unwilling to sell the brand he worked so hard to create.
  • Analysis: A good example of using 出让 in the negative to show refusal to part with something significant, like a brand.

• 出让 (chūràng) vs. 卖 (mài): This is the most common pitfall for learners.
  • 卖 (mài) is the general, everyday word for “to sell.” You use it for cars, clothes, food, books, etc.
  • 出让 (chūràng) is for formal transfers of ownership, rights, or large assets.
  • Incorrect: 我想出让我的旧自行车。 (Wǒ xiǎng chūràng wǒ de jiù zìxíngchē.) → This sounds absurdly formal, as if you're transferring the legal title of a bicycle.
  • Correct: 我想卖我的旧自行车。 (Wǒ xiǎng mài wǒ de jiù zìxíngchē.)
• 出让 (chūràng) vs. 转让 (zhuǎnràng): This is a finer distinction. Both mean “to transfer.”
  • They are often interchangeable, especially for shares or businesses (股权出让 / 股权转让).
  • However, 出让 can specifically imply the *initial* transfer from a primary source (like the government 出让 land rights for the first time).
  • 转让 (zhuǎnràng) is more commonly used for subsequent, secondary transfers between private parties (a developer 转让 a property to a buyer).
  • 出让 can also carry a stronger sense of “ceding” or “giving up,” while 转让 is a more neutral “transfer.”

• 转让 (zhuǎnràng) - To transfer, to assign. A very close synonym, but often used for secondary transfers between private parties rather than the initial one from an authority.
• 卖 (mài) - To sell. The general, informal term for selling goods and services.
• 放弃 (fàngqì) - To give up, to abandon. Emphasizes the act of letting go of something (like a dream, a plan, or a right) often without a transaction.
• 割让 (gēràng) - To cede (territory). A much stronger and more specific term than 出让, used almost exclusively for the ceding of territory in treaties, usually as a result of war.
• 所有权 (suǒyǒuquán) - Ownership; property rights. This is the core right being transferred.
• 使用权 (shǐyòngquán) - Right to use. This is what is typically transferred in a Chinese land 出让 deal.
• 股份 (gǔfèn) - Shares; stock. An asset commonly transferred using 出让.
• 合同 (hétong) - Contract. The legal document that formalizes a 出让 agreement.
• 资产 (zīchǎn) - Assets; property. The collective term for what is being transferred.
• 利益 (lìyì) - Interest; benefit; profit. One can 出让 one's interests in a negotiation.