掌管

zhǎngguǎn

verb HSK 7-9 #8,048

Meanings

1 to be in charge of; to manage
2 to control; to administer

Characters

palm; to control

to manage; to oversee

掌 originally means 'palm of the hand' — to have something 'in the palm of your hand' means to control it.

Examples

她掌管公司的财务部门。

Tā zhǎngguǎn gōngsī de cáiwù bùmén.

She is in charge of the company's finance department.

谁掌管这个项目？

Shéi zhǎngguǎn zhège xiàngmù?

Who's in charge of this project?

Tips

usage

掌管 implies having real authority and decision-making power, stronger than 管理 (guǎnlǐ, to manage). It's often used for people who control finances, organizations, or important affairs.

Stroke Order

掌 zhǎng

管 guǎn