委托

• Pinyin: wěi tuō
• Hanzi breakdown: 委 = 禾 (grain) + 女 (woman), entrust; 托 = 扌(hand) + 乇, to support/entrust

Meaning

To entrust; to commission; to delegate authority to someone.

Used when officially assigning a task, authority, or responsibility to another person or organization. Common in legal, business, and formal contexts. Implies trust and official authorization. Often used for professional services (委托律师 hire a lawyer, 委托代理 appoint an agent).

Examples

1. 她委托律师处理这件官司。 She entrusted a lawyer to handle this lawsuit.
2. 公司委托第三方机构进行市场调研。 The company commissioned a third-party agency to conduct market research.
3. 因为出差，他委托同事帮忙照顾宠物。 Because of a business trip, he entrusted a colleague to help take care of his pet.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, business, official

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 委托代理人。(Entrust to an agent.)
• 受人委托。(Entrusted by someone.)

Don't Say

• 委托朋友一起玩 — too formal for casual requests; use 叫 or 请 for informal asks between friends

Origin & History

Compound of 委 (entrust/delegate) + 托 (trust/support), meaning to entrust with trust.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal