权 meaning and stroke order
Authority; power; right
How to write 权, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 权
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- authority
- power
- right
- (literary) to weigh
- expedient
- temporary
How 权 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wood.
木 gives the meaning and 雚 hints at the sound.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 权
权 (quán) puts 木 (wood) next to 又 (a hand). Picture a hand gripping a wooden staff or scale beam: whoever holds it has the power to weigh and decide.
权 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in compounds about power and rights, such as 权力 (quánlì, power), 人权 (rénquán, human rights) and 授权 (shòuquán, to authorize). Example: 每个人都有受教育的权利。(Měi gè rén dōu yǒu shòu jiàoyù de quánlì.) Everyone has the right to an education.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 权利 (quánlì, a right or entitlement) and 权力 (quánlì, power or authority), since they sound identical. Remember that 力 means strength, so 权力 is power you exercise, while 权利 is something you are entitled to.
Common words with 权
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 权利 | quánlì | right (i.e. an entitlement to sth); (classical) power and wealth | HSK 4 |
| 权力 | quánlì | power; authority | HSK 6 |
| 政权 | zhèngquán | regime; political power | HSK 6 |
| 人权 | rénquán | human rights | HSK 6 |
| 授权 | shòuquán | to authorize | HSK 7-9 |
| 特权 | tèquán | prerogative; privilege | HSK 7-9 |
| 权威 | quánwēi | authority; authoritative | HSK 7-9 |
| 权益 | quányì | rights; interests | HSK 7-9 |
| 主权 | zhǔquán | sovereignty | HSK 7-9 |
| 权衡 | quánhéng | to consider; to weigh (a matter) | HSK 7-9 |
| 职权 | zhíquán | authority; power over others | HSK 7-9 |
| 侵权 | qīnquán | to infringe the rights of; to violate | HSK 7-9 |
| 有权 | yǒuquán | to have the right to; to be entitled to | |
| 无权 | wúquán | to have no right; to have no authority |
权 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 权
How many strokes are in 权?
权 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 权 mean?
权 (quán) means authority; power; right. A common word with it is 权利 (quánlì), meaning "right (i.e. an entitlement to sth); (classical) power and wealth".
How do you pronounce 权?
权 is pronounced quán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 权?
The radical of 权 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 权 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 权?
The traditional form of 权 is 權. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 权 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 权 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 权 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why does 权 contain 木 (wood) if it means power?
The etymology data lists 权 as pictophonetic, with 木 (wood) as the meaning part and 雚 as the sound part in the traditional form 權. The literary sense "to weigh" is listed among its meanings, and the dictionary connects that sense to the idea of power, meaning the ability to weigh and decide.
What does 权 mean in words like 权宜 or 权且?
Here 权 carries its literary sense of expedient or temporary. 权宜之计 (quányí zhī jì) means a stopgap measure, and 权且 (quánqiě) means for the time being.