容许

• Pinyin: róng xǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 容 = 宀 + 谷 (house + valley = hold/permit); 许 = 言 + 午 (speech + noon = promise/permit)

Meaning

To permit; to allow; to tolerate. To officially or formally agree that something is acceptable or permissible.

More formal and rule-based than 允许. Often used in legal, regulatory, or official contexts. Implies that the permitting party has clear authority to grant or deny. Frequently used in negative form — 不容许 — to express strong prohibition, making it a key term in institutional and legislative language.

Examples

1. 规程中明确指出，任何擅自更改原始数据的行为均不容许。 The regulations clearly state that any unauthorized alteration of original data will not be permitted.
2. 在特殊情况下，申请人可申请延期，但须经上级主管部门审批容许。 In special circumstances, an applicant may request an extension, but it must be approved and permitted by the supervising authority.
3. 学校明确规定，考试期间不容许学生使用任何形式的电子通讯设备。 The school clearly states that during exams, students are not allowed to use any form of electronic communication device.

Usage Guide

Context: law, regulations, official communication

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在制度框架内，任何例外情形均须经专门委员会审议方可容许。(Within the institutional framework, any exceptional circumstance must be reviewed and approved by the dedicated committee before being permitted.)
• 该条例明确规定，不容许任何单位以营利为目的擅自使用公共资源。(The regulation clearly stipulates that no organisation is permitted to use public resources for profit-making purposes without authorisation.)

Don't Say

• 妈妈容许我出去玩 — 容许 is overly formal for family speech; use 允许 or 让 instead

Origin & History

容 (to contain/allow) + 许 (to permit/promise)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal