许可证

• Pinyin: xǔ kě zhèng
• Hanzi breakdown: 许 = 讠+ 午 (to permit/allow); 可 = 口 + 丁 (can/may); 证 = 讠+ 正 (certificate/evidence)

Meaning

Permit; licence; certificate of authorisation. An official document granting permission to carry out a specific activity.

Used across legal, commercial, and governmental contexts. Types include 营业许可证 (business licence), 驾驶许可证 (driving licence), and 施工许可证 (construction permit). Essential vocabulary for administrative and legal affairs.

Examples

1. 餐饮经营者在开业前必须向主管部门申请并取得食品经营许可证。 Before opening, food-service operators must apply to the relevant authorities for and obtain a food business license.
2. 该建筑工程因未取得合法施工许可证而被勒令立即停工整改。 The construction project was ordered to stop immediately because it had not obtained a lawful construction permit.
3. 软件开发商需仔细阅读所用第三方库的许可证条款，确保合规使用。 Software developers should read the license terms of any third-party libraries they use carefully to ensure compliant use.

Usage Guide

Context: law, business, government, technology

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 本公司已取得相关部门颁发的合法经营许可证，所有业务均在法律框架内依规开展。(Our company has obtained a legal business licence issued by the relevant authorities, and all operations are conducted in full compliance with legal requirements.)
• 从事危险化学品运输的企业须持有经安全生产监督部门核发的专项许可证方可运营。(Companies engaged in transporting hazardous chemicals must hold a special permit issued by the work safety supervision authority before commencing operations.)

Don't Say

• 随便拿个许可证 — permits are issued through formal administrative procedures; implying they can be casually obtained is legally and culturally inappropriate in formal contexts

Origin & History

许可 (to permit/allow) + 证 (certificate/proof) — an official certificate of permission

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal