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大權在握

简大权在握 · 繁大權在握

Mandarin · pinyin dà quán zài wò

to be in a position of power

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Characters in this entry

大: dà · big, great, vast, large, high
權: Look up this written character
在: zài · be at, in, on; consist in, rest
握: wò · grasp, hold fast, take by hand
权: quán · power, right, authority

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–2–4–4 · da4 quan2 zai4 wo4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

大權在握 · find source passages ↗ · 大权在握 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to have (hold) great power in one's hands; to be in a position of power

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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