wěituō: 委托 - To Entrust, Delegate, Commission

• Keywords: 委托 meaning, wěituō, entrust in Chinese, delegate in Chinese, commission in Chinese, how to use 委托, formal request in Chinese, 委托 vs 拜托, Chinese business vocabulary, HSK 5
• Summary: Learn the meaning and usage of 委托 (wěituō), a key Chinese verb for “to entrust,” “delegate,” or “commission.” This page breaks down its use in formal business and legal contexts, contrasting it with informal requests. Discover how to correctly use 委托 to formally assign tasks and responsibilities, a crucial skill for navigating professional life in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): wěi tuō
• Part of Speech: Verb, Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To formally entrust or delegate a task, responsibility, or authority to another person or entity.
• In a Nutshell: 委托 (wěituō) is the word you use when you're not just asking for a favor, but formally handing over a responsibility. Think of hiring a lawyer, commissioning an artist, or authorizing a company to act on your behalf. It carries a sense of official appointment and trust, making it essential in business, legal matters, and other serious situations.

• 委 (wěi): This character means “to appoint,” “to entrust,” or “committee.” It suggests formally giving someone a role or a duty.
• 托 (tuō): This character's root is the “hand” radical (手). It means “to hold up with one's palm,” “to support,” or “to entrust.” Imagine physically handing over something important for someone else to hold and take care of.
• Together, 委托 (wěituō) combines the ideas of formal appointment (委) and the physical act of handing over responsibility (托), creating a powerful and formal term for delegation.

In Chinese culture, clarity in roles and responsibilities is highly valued, especially in formal settings. 委托 (wěituō) is the linguistic tool for creating this clarity. It establishes a formal agreement, whether spoken or written, that one party is now acting on behalf of another. This is different from the Western concept of simply “asking someone to do something.” While you might informally ask a colleague for help, to 委托 them implies a formal transfer of authority for a specific task. For example, if your manager 委托s you to lead a project, it means you have been officially designated and are now responsible for its outcome. This contrasts with the concept of 人情 (rénqíng), which is about informal, relationship-based favors. 委托 is transactional and professional; 人情 is personal and reciprocal. Using 委托 removes the ambiguity of a personal favor and frames the interaction within a professional or legal context.

委托 is primarily used in formal contexts. Using it for a small, casual favor would sound strange and overly dramatic.

• Business and Legal: This is the most common context. You 委托 a law firm (`委托律师事务所`), 委托 an agent (`委托代理人`), or 委托 a factory to manufacture a product (`委托工厂生产`).
• As a Noun: 委托 can also mean “the commission” or “the mandate” itself. For example, “This is my client's commission” (`这是我客户的委托`).
• Formal Personal Matters: While less common, you might use it for a serious personal task. For instance, if you're leaving the country for a year, you might formally 委托 a trusted friend to manage your affairs by signing a 委托书 (wěituōshū), or a “letter of authorization/power of attorney.”

• Example 1:
  • 他委托了一位律师来处理他的法律事务。
  • Pinyin: Tā wěituōle yī wèi lǜshī lái chǔlǐ tā de fǎlǜ shìwù.
  • English: He entrusted a lawyer to handle his legal affairs.
  • Analysis: This is a classic, standard use of 委托. It shows a formal, professional relationship between a client and a lawyer.
• Example 2:
  • 我们公司委托一家广告公司来设计新商标。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī wěituōle yī jiā guǎnggào gōngsī lái shèjì xīn shāngbiāo.
  • English: Our company commissioned an advertising agency to design the new logo.
  • Analysis: Here, 委托 means “to commission.” It implies a contractual agreement and payment for services.
• Example 3:
  • 在我出国期间，我委托邻居帮我照顾我的猫。
  • Pinyin: Zài wǒ chūguó qíjiān, wǒ wěituō línjū bāng wǒ zhàogù wǒ de māo.
  • English: During the period I'm abroad, I'm entrusting my neighbor to help me take care of my cat.
  • Analysis: While “asking” a neighbor is usually informal, using 委托 here elevates the seriousness. It implies this isn't just a small favor but a significant, long-term responsibility.
• Example 4:
  • 这不是一个简单的任务，我能委托给你吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhè bùshì yī ge jiǎndān de rènwù, wǒ néng wěituō gěi nǐ ma?
  • English: This isn't a simple task. Can I entrust it to you?
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 委托 to emphasize the weight and importance of the task, seeking confirmation that the other person is willing to accept the responsibility.
• Example 5:
  • 客户的委托就是我们的首要任务。
  • Pinyin: Kèhù de wěituō jiùshì wǒmen de shǒuyào rènwù.
  • English: The client's commission is our top priority.
  • Analysis: In this sentence, 委托 is used as a noun, meaning “commission,” “mandate,” or “the entrusted task.”
• Example 6:
  • 你需要签署一份委托书，我才能代表你。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào qiānshǔ yī fèn wěituōshū, wǒ cái néng dàibiǎo nǐ.
  • English: You need to sign a power of attorney (letter of entrustment) before I can represent you.
  • Analysis: This shows the connection between the verb 委托 and its common noun form 委托书 (wěituōshū), a legal document.
• Example 7:
  • 我不能接受你的委托，因为这超出了我的能力范围。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bùnéng jiēshòu nǐ de wěituō, yīnwèi zhè chāochūle wǒ de nénglì fànwéi.
  • English: I cannot accept your commission because it is beyond the scope of my abilities.
  • Analysis: This is a formal way to decline a delegated task. Note the use of 接受 (jiēshòu), “to accept,” which pairs well with 委托.
• Example 8:
  • 董事会委托新任CEO进行公司改革。
  • Pinyin: Dǒngshìhuì wěituō xīnrèn CEO jìnxíng gōngsī gǎigé.
  • English: The board of directors delegated the new CEO to carry out company reforms.
  • Analysis: This example shows delegation from a higher authority (the board) to a subordinate (the CEO). 委托 perfectly captures this top-down assignment of responsibility.
• Example 9:
  • 他辜负了我的委托，没有完成项目。
  • Pinyin: Tā gūfùle wǒ de wěituō, méiyǒu wánchéng xiàngmù.
  • English: He failed my trust (betrayed my commission) and did not complete the project.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 委托 as a noun and pairs it with 辜负 (gūfù), “to let down” or “to fail.” This is a strong phrase for when someone fails at a task they were entrusted with.
• Example 10:
  • 我可以委托你帮我向他传个话吗？
  • Pinyin: Wǒ kěyǐ wěituō nǐ bāng wǒ xiàng tā chuán ge huà ma?
  • English: Can I entrust you to pass a message to him for me?
  • Analysis: This is a borderline case. Using 委托 for passing a message makes it sound very serious and important. The speaker wants to convey that the message is not just casual gossip but something that must be delivered accurately.

• Mistake: Using 委托 for simple, everyday favors.
  • Incorrect: 我委托你给我买杯咖啡。(Wǒ wěituō nǐ gěi wǒ mǎi bēi kāfēi.)
  • Why it's wrong: This sounds comically formal, like commissioning a federal agent to get you a latte.
  • Correct: 麻烦你帮我买杯咖啡。(Máfan nǐ bāng wǒ mǎi bēi kāfēi.) or 你能帮我买杯咖啡吗？ (Nǐ néng bāng wǒ mǎi bēi kāfēi ma?)
• `委托` (wěituō) vs. `拜托` (bàituō): This is a key distinction.
  • 委托 (wěituō) is formal, professional, and often transactional. It focuses on the transfer of responsibility.
  • 拜托 (bàituō) is personal and pleading. It literally means “I bow and entrust,” and it's used when you earnestly and politely ask for a big favor from someone you know. It emphasizes the act of asking and the hope that the other person will agree. You would 拜托 a friend to help you move, but you would 委托 an agent to sell your house.
• `委托` (wěituō) vs. `信任` (xìnrèn):
  • 信任 (xìnrèn) means “to trust” or “to have confidence in” someone's character. It's a feeling or a state.
  • 委托 (wěituō) is the action you take because you have that trust.
  • You can say: 我很信任你，所以才把这个任务委托给你。(Wǒ hěn xìnrèn nǐ, suǒyǐ cái bǎ zhège rènwù wěituō gěi nǐ.) - “I trust you a lot, that's why I am entrusting this task to you.”

• 委托书 (wěituōshū) - The physical document for delegation: a “power of attorney” or “letter of authorization.”
• 代理 (dàilǐ) - To act as an agent or proxy. The person who is 委托-ed often becomes the 代理.
• 授权 (shòuquán) - To authorize; to empower. This is the act of granting the legal or official power needed to carry out the 委托.
• 拜托 (bàituō) - A more personal and pleading way to ask for a significant favor. It's emotional, whereas 委托 is professional.
• 负责 (fùzé) - To be responsible for. After you accept a 委托, you are now 负责 for the outcome.
• 任务 (rènwu) - A task or mission. This is often the “what” that is being entrusted.
• 信任 (xìnrèn) - Trust; to have confidence in. The emotional or psychological foundation required before you can 委托 someone with something important.
• 指派 (zhǐpài) - To appoint or assign. Similar to 委托, but often used in a hierarchical context, like a boss assigning a task to an employee. It's more about “assigning” than “entrusting.”