shòuyǔ: 授予 - To Grant, Confer, Award

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• Summary: Discover the meaning of the formal Chinese verb 授予 (shòuyǔ), which translates to “to grant,” “to confer,” or “to award.” This comprehensive guide explains how 授予 is used in official contexts like ceremonies for degrees, titles, and honors. Learn the crucial difference between 授予 and the common word for “give” (给, gěi), explore its cultural significance, and master its usage with ten practical example sentences designed for English-speaking learners.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shòu yǔ
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: To formally grant, award, or confer something of significance, such as a title, degree, or right.
• In a Nutshell: Think of 授予 (shòuyǔ) as the “ceremonial” or “official” version of giving. It's not for handing a friend a coffee. Instead, it describes a top-down action from an institution or authority. A university 授予s a degree, a government 授予s a medal, and a law 授予s a right. The word carries a heavy sense of formality, legitimacy, and honor.

• 授 (shòu): This character means “to give” or “to award.” Its left-side radical is 手 (shǒu), the character for “hand,” clearly indicating an action of giving or passing something on.
• 予 (yǔ): This is also a more formal or classical character meaning “to give” or “to grant.”
• The combination of these two characters, both meaning “to give,” creates a compound word that is highly formal and emphatic. It elevates the simple act of giving into a formal, official act of “conferring” or “bestowing.”

The use of 授予 (shòuyǔ) reflects the importance of hierarchy, ceremony, and official recognition in Chinese culture. The act of 授予 is rarely between equals; it solidifies a power structure where an organization or person of high standing formally acknowledges the merit, status, or rights of a recipient. A useful Western comparison is the difference between “to give” and “to bestow” or “to confer.” While we might “give” a friend a gift, a monarch would “bestow” a knighthood upon a subject. 授予 functions like “bestow” but is far more common in modern written Chinese, appearing frequently in news reports, legal documents, and academic announcements. It underscores a cultural appreciation for formal processes and the public recognition of achievement and status. This isn't about a personal exchange; it's about an official, often public, transaction of honor or authority.

授予 (shòuyǔ) is used almost exclusively in formal written and spoken contexts. You will almost never hear it in casual, everyday conversation.

• Academic and Award Ceremonies: This is the most common context. Universities 授予 degrees, and organizations 授予 prizes and awards.
  • e.g., 授予学位 (shòuyǔ xuéwèi) - to confer a degree
  • e.g., 授予奖章 (shòuyǔ jiǎngzhāng) - to award a medal
• Legal and Governmental Language: Laws and constitutions 授予 citizens rights and powers. Governments 授予 titles, honors, and licenses.
  • e.g., 授予权力 (shòuyǔ quánlì) - to grant power/authority
  • e.g., 授予称号 (shòuyǔ chēnghào) - to confer a title
• Formality: Always formal and serious. Using it in an informal situation would sound awkward and pretentious.

• Example 1:
  • 大学将于下个月授予他博士学位。
  • Pinyin: Dàxué jiāng yú xià gè yuè shòuyǔ tā bóshì xuéwèi.
  • English: The university will confer a doctoral degree upon him next month.
  • Analysis: A classic example of 授予 used in an academic context. The university is the formal institution granting the degree.
• Example 2:
  • 政府决定授予这位科学家国家最高荣誉。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ juédìng shòuyǔ zhè wèi kēxuéjiā guójiā zuìgāo róngyù.
  • English: The government decided to award this scientist the nation's highest honor.
  • Analysis: Here, 授予 is used for conferring an honor, a formal act performed by an authority (the government).
• Example 3:
  • 宪法授予每个公民选举的权利。
  • Pinyin: Xiànfǎ shòuyǔ měi gè gōngmín xuǎnjǔ de quánlì.
  • English: The constitution grants every citizen the right to vote.
  • Analysis: This shows 授予 used in a legal context to describe the granting of rights. The constitution is the ultimate source of authority.
• Example 4:
  • 他因其英勇行为被授予一枚勋章。
  • Pinyin: Tā yīn qí yīngyǒng xíngwéi bèi shòuyǔ yī méi xūnzhāng.
  • English: He was awarded a medal for his heroic actions.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the passive structure with 被 (bèi), which is common with 授予. The focus is on the recipient and what was awarded to them.
• Example 5:
  • 联合国授予她“和平大使”的称号。
  • Pinyin: Liánhéguó shòuyǔ tā “hépíng dàshǐ” de chēnghào.
  • English: The United Nations conferred the title of “Messenger of Peace” upon her.
  • Analysis: Perfect example of conferring an official title (称号, chēnghào).
• Example 6:
  • 董事会授予CEO处理此事的全部权力。
  • Pinyin: Dǒngshìhuì shòuyǔ CEO chǔlǐ cǐ shì de quánbù quánlì.
  • English: The board of directors granted the CEO full authority to handle this matter.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates 授予 in a corporate business context, granting authority from a higher body (the board) to an individual.
• Example 7:
  • 这项专利授予了该公司独家生产权。
  • Pinyin: Zhè xiàng zhuānlì shòuyǔ le gāi gōngsī dújiā shēngchǎn quán.
  • English: This patent granted the company exclusive production rights.
  • Analysis: Used here for intellectual property rights, another formal, legal area.
• Example 8:
  • 经过严格评审，评委会最终将大奖授予了一位年轻作家。
  • Pinyin: Jīngguò yángé pingshěn, píngwěihuì zuìzhōng jiāng dàjiǎng shòuyǔ le yī wèi niánqīng zuòjiā.
  • English: After a rigorous review, the committee finally awarded the grand prize to a young writer.
  • Analysis: Note the structure 将 + [object] + 授予 + [recipient]. This is a common way to structure sentences with 授予.
• Example 9:
  • 他被授予终身成就奖以表彰他的贡献。
  • Pinyin: Tā bèi shòuyǔ zhōngshēn chéngjiù jiǎng yǐ biǎozhāng tā de gòngxiàn.
  • English: He was awarded a lifetime achievement award in recognition of his contributions.
  • Analysis: Another passive sentence, highlighting the award itself and the reason for it.
• Example 10:
  • 法院授予母亲对孩子的完全监护权。
  • Pinyin: Fǎyuàn shòuyǔ mǔqīn duì háizi de wánquán jiānhù quán.
  • English: The court granted the mother full custody of the child.
  • Analysis: A clear legal usage, where the court is the authority granting a legal right (custody).

The most common mistake for learners is confusing 授予 (shòuyǔ) with the everyday word for “to give,” 给 (gěi).

• 授予 (shòuyǔ): Formal, ceremonial, official. For intangible or significant things like degrees, titles, rights, honors, and authority. The giver is always an institution or authority.
• 给 (gěi): Informal, everyday. For tangible objects and simple actions. Used between anyone.

Think of it this way: a university 授予s a diploma, but you 给 your friend a book.

• Incorrect Usage: 我授予你我的电话号码。(Wǒ shòuyǔ nǐ wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ.)
• Why it's wrong: This sounds absurdly pompous, like you are a king “bestowing” your phone number. It's a simple, informal act of giving information.
• Correct Usage: 我给你我的电话号码。(Wǒ gěi nǐ wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ.)
• Incorrect Usage: 妈妈授予我一个苹果。(Māma shòuyǔ wǒ yī gè píngguǒ.)
• Why it's wrong: A mother giving her child an apple is a casual, personal act, not a formal ceremony.
• Correct Usage: 妈妈给我一个苹果。(Māma gěi wǒ yī gè píngguǒ.)

• 颁发 (bānfā) - To issue, to award. Very similar to 授予 and often interchangeable, especially for certificates, medals, and flags.
• 给予 (jǐyǔ) - To give, to render. A formal word for giving, but usually for abstract things like help, support, or consideration. Less ceremonial than 授予.
• 赋予 (fùyǔ) - To endow with, to entrust. Implies giving a quality, a mission, or a special meaning to something. (e.g., “History endows this place with significance.”)
• 奖赏 (jiǎngshǎng) - To reward; a reward. Focuses more on the act of rewarding good behavior, less on the formality of the ceremony.
• 任命 (rènmìng) - To appoint. Specifically used for appointing someone to a job or official position.
• 批准 (pīzhǔn) - To approve, to ratify. This is the official act of giving permission, which often happens *before* something is 授予'd.
• 称号 (chēnghào) - Title, designation. One of the most common things that is “conferred” using 授予.
• 学位 (xuéwèi) - Academic degree. The classic object that is granted (授予) by a university.
• 权力 (quánlì) - Power, authority. Rights and powers are often granted (授予) by a law or constitution.
• 荣誉 (róngyù) - Honor, glory. A concept central to the act of 授予; awards and titles are forms of 荣誉.