掌握

Chinese

		palm (of hand); in charge of	shake hands; to hold; to grasp
simp. and trad. (掌握)		掌	握

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): zhǎngwò

(Zhuyin): ㄓㄤˇ ㄨㄛˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): zoeng² ak¹ / zoeng² aak¹
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chóng-vok
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): chióng-ak / chiáng-ak / chióng-ok / chiáng-ok

(Teochew, Peng'im): zion² og⁴
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵tsan-oq

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zhǎngwò
  - Zhuyin: ㄓㄤˇ ㄨㄛˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jhǎngwò
  - Wade–Giles: chang³-wo⁴
  - Yale: jǎng-wò
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jaangwoh
  - Palladius: чжанво (čžanvo)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɔ⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: zoeng² ak¹ / zoeng² aak¹
  - Yale: jéung āk / jéung āak
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzoeng² ak⁷ / dzoeng² aak⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: zêng² eg¹ / zêng² ag¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sœːŋ³⁵ ɐk̚⁵/, /t͡sœːŋ³⁵ aːk̚⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chóng-vok
  - Hakka Romanization System: zong^ˋ vog^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: zong³ vog⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡soŋ³¹ vok̚²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chióng-ak
  - Tâi-lô: tsióng-ak
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ciofng'ag
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siɔŋ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ak̚³²/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei, Xiamen): /t͡siɔŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ak̚³²/
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siɔŋ⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ ak̚⁵/
- (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiáng-ak
  - Tâi-lô: tsiáng-ak
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ciafng'ag
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siaŋ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ak̚³²/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei, Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /t͡siaŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ak̚³²/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chióng-ok
  - Tâi-lô: tsióng-ok
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ciofng'og
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siɔŋ⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ ɔk̚⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /t͡siɔŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ɔk̚³²/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiáng-ok
  - Tâi-lô: tsiáng-ok
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ciafng'og
  - Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siaŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ɔk̚³²/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: zion² og⁴
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsióⁿ ok
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sĩõ⁵²⁻³⁵ ok̚²/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁵tsan-oq
  - MiniDict: tsan^去 oh
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²tsan-oq
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sã³³ oʔ⁴⁴/

Verb

掌握

to be in control of; to take charge of; to hold
掌握政權／掌握政权 ― zhǎngwò zhèngquán ― to hold political power

掌握國家秘密／掌握国家秘密 ― zhǎngwò guójiā mìmì ― to hold state secrets
to master; to grasp; to know well
掌握適度原則／掌握适度原则 ― zhǎngwò shìdù yuánzé ― to grasp the principle of moderation

掌握專業技能／掌握专业技能 ― zhǎngwò zhuānyè jìnéng ― to master professional skills

Synonyms

(to be in control of):

edit

主宰 (zhǔzǎi)
主張 / 主张 (zhǔzhāng) (archaic)
克制 (kèzhì)
克治 (kèzhì) (literary)
制壓 / 制压 (Taiwanese Hokkien)
制禦 / 制御 (zhìyù) (literary)
制約 / 制约 (zhìyuē)
君 (jūn) (literary)
執掌 / 执掌 (zhízhǎng)
壓制 / 压制 (yāzhì)
壓抑 / 压抑 (yāyì)
局 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
局限 (júxiàn)
左右 (zuǒyòu)
把
抑制 (yìzhì)
把持 (bǎchí)
把控 (bǎkòng)
把攬 / 把揽 (bǎlǎn)
抵制 (dǐzhì)
拘束 (jūshù)
按 (àn)
按捺 (ànnà) (usually in the negative)
控 (literary, or in compounds)
控制 (kòngzhì)
掌控 (zhǎngkòng)
提控 (tíkòng) (literary)
撥弄 / 拨弄 (bōnòng)
撙節 / 撙节 (zǔnjié)
操控 (cāokòng)
操縱 / 操纵 (cāozòng)
擺佈 / 摆布 (bǎibù)
擺治 / 摆治 (bǎizhì) (regional)
支配 (zhīpèi)
收斂 / 收敛 (shōuliǎn)
束 (literary, or in compounds)
束縛 / 束缚 (shùfù)
柄 (literary, or in compounds)
框 (kuàng)
禁錮 / 禁锢 (jìngù) (figurative)
積壓 / 积压 (jīyā) (figurative)
節制 / 节制 (jiézhì)
節撙 / 节撙 (Quanzhou Hokkien, Xiamen Hokkien)
管制 (guǎnzhì)
管束 (guǎnshù)
約束 / 约束 (yuēshù)
統御 / 统御 (tǒngyù) (literary)
統治 / 统治 (tǒngzhì)
羈束 / 羁束 (jīshù) (literary)
裁 (cái) (literary, or in compounds)
遏抑 (èyì) (literary)
鎮 / 镇 (zhèn)
限 (xiàn)
限乏 (Xiamen Hokkien)
限制 (xiànzhì)
駕 / 驾 (jià)
駕馭 / 驾驭 (jiàyù) (figurative)

(to know well):

edit

了解 (liǎojiě)
佔有 / 占有 (zhànyǒu)
分曉 / 分晓 (fēnxiǎo)
參悟 / 参悟 (cānwù)
悟 (wù) (literary, or in compounds)
懂 (dǒng)
懂得 (dǒngde)
打生 (Wenzhounese)
把握 (bǎwò)
明 (ming⁴) (Cantonese)
明白
明瞭 / 明了 (míngliǎo)
曉得 / 晓得 (xiǎode)
會悟 / 会悟 (huìwù) (literary)
洞悉 (dòngxī)
清亮 (mainland China)
清楚
熟似 (Hokkien)
熟悉 (shúxī)
熟稔 (shúrěn) (literary)
熟識 / 熟识 (shúshí)
理會 / 理会 (lǐhuì)
理解 (lǐjiě)
瞭悟 / 了悟 (liǎowù) (literary)
知影 (Hokkien, Teochew)
知悉 (zhīxī) (literary)
知曉 / 知晓 (zhīxiǎo)
知識 / 知识 (zhīshí) (literary)
知道 (zhīdào)
覺 / 觉
覺悟 / 觉悟 (juéwù)
覺醒 / 觉醒 (juéxǐng)
認識 / 认识
諳曉 / 谙晓 (ānxiǎo) (literary)
諳達 / 谙达 (āndá) (literary)
貫通 / 贯通 (guàntōng)
通曉 / 通晓 (tōngxiǎo)
通解 (tōngjiě) (literary)
通達 / 通达 (tōngdá)
達 / 达 (literary, or in compounds)
醒悟 (xǐngwù)
開悟 / 开悟 (kāiwù) (literary)
領悟 / 领悟 (lǐngwù)
領會 / 领会 (lǐnghuì)
領略 / 领略 (lǐnglüè)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
掌	握
しょう Grade: S	あく Grade: S
on'yomi

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ːa̠kɯ̟]

Noun

掌(しょう)握(あく) • (shōaku)

control

Verb

掌(しょう)握(あく)する • (shōaku suru) transitive suru (stem 掌(しょう)握(あく)し (shōaku shi), past 掌(しょう)握(あく)した (shōaku shita))

to control
- 2024 May 23, 大島敦, quotee, “第213回国会　衆議院　憲法審査会　第7号　令和6年5月23日”, in 国会会議録検索システム‎^[1], 国立国会図書館, retrieved 23 December 2025:
  会社もそうですが、金と人事を握ることが組織を掌握する要諦です。
  Kaisha mo sō desu ga, kane to jinji o nigiru koto ga soshiki o shōaku suru yōtei desu.
  As with a company, the key to controlling an organization is to control money and personnel.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "掌握する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	掌握し	しょうあくし	shōaku shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	掌握し	しょうあくし	shōaku shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	掌握する	しょうあくする	shōaku suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	掌握する	しょうあくする	shōaku suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	掌握すれ	しょうあくすれ	shōaku sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	掌握せよ¹ 掌握しろ²	しょうあくせよ¹ しょうあくしろ²	shōaku seyo¹ shōaku shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	掌握される	しょうあくされる	shōaku sareru
Causative	掌握させる掌握さす	しょうあくさせるしょうあくさす	shōaku saseru shōaku sasu
Potential	掌握できる	しょうあくできる	shōaku dekiru
Volitional	掌握しよう	しょうあくしよう	shōaku shiyō
Negative	掌握しない	しょうあくしない	shōaku shinai
Negative continuative	掌握せず	しょうあくせず	shōaku sezu
Formal	掌握します	しょうあくします	shōaku shimasu
Perfective	掌握した	しょうあくした	shōaku shita
Conjunctive	掌握して	しょうあくして	shōaku shite
Hypothetical conditional	掌握すれば	しょうあくすれば	shōaku sureba

¹ Written imperative
² Spoken imperative

References

“掌握”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja in this term
掌	握

Noun

掌握 • (jang'ak) (hangeul 장악)

hanja form^? of 장악 (“domination; control”)