威 wēi might
might; power; prestige
How to remember 威: 戌 war axe + 女 woman = might. Lifting a heavy war axe over her head, the woman in armour at the medieval fair makes the whole crowd feel her might.
Component breakdown
威 = 戌 war axe + 女 woman
- 戌 war axe
- 女 woman
Lifting a heavy war axe over her head, the woman in armour at the medieval fair makes the whole crowd feel her might.
How it is used
- Formal, bound character for might/prestige, common in news and political language.
- 威胁 (wēixié) - to threaten - is frequent in security, diplomacy, and everyday warnings alike.
- 权威 (quánwēi) means "an authority" (noun) or "authoritative" (adjective), e.g. 权威专家 (quánwēi zhuānjiā) - an authoritative expert.
- 助威 (zhùwēi) - to cheer someone on - is common in sports contexts, literally "to lend one's might".