How to Write 权 (quán) — Meaning “Power; right”

Imagine a hand (又) holding a wooden stick (木) like a gavel or a staff — that hand has the power to make decisions. This visual of "hand over wood" can remind you that 权 means power or right.

Pay attention to the left part 木: its last stroke should be a small dot (丶), not a long downward stroke. Also keep the right part 又 balanced — it should be slightly wider than the left, with the horizontal stroke of 又 starting at about the same height as the top of 木.

木 (tree) is just the radical alone, while 权 adds 又 on the right. 未 (not yet) looks like 木 with an extra horizontal stroke at the top, but 权 has a completely different right side. In meaning: 木 is a tree, 未 is a negative adverb, and 权 means power or right — they are not interchangeable.

权 appears in common words like 权利 (rights) and 权力 (power/authority). Note that 权利 and 权力 sound the same (quán lì) but are written differently — the first uses 利 (benefit) for legal rights, the second uses 力 (strength) for political authority. Use 权 when talking about power, rights, or authorization, such as 授权 (to authorize).

Common words containing 权 include: 权利 (quán lì) — Right; privilege; 权力 (quán lì) — Power; authority; 授权 (shòu quán) — to authorize; to empower.