权柄

權柄

quánbǐng

noun #30,077

Meanings

Tā shǒu wò quánbǐng, wú rén gǎn wéikàng tā de mìnglìng.

He holds authority in his hands; no one dares to defy his orders.

Quánbǐng bù yīng bèi lànyòng.

Authority should not be abused.

memory

权 means power/right, and 柄 means handle — imagine gripping the handle of power. This gives a vivid image of holding authority.

权柄 is formal and literary. In modern contexts, 权力 is more common for political or institutional power.

权 quán

柄 bǐng