掌管 (zhǎngguǎn) is a verb meaning 'to administer' or 'to be in charge of' — it implies formal, authoritative responsibility over people, systems, organizations, or domains. The first character 掌 (zhǎng) literally means 'palm' but figuratively conveys 'to hold in one’s hand' or 'to control'; the second character 管 (guǎn) means 'to manage', 'to supervise', or 'to regulate'. Together, they emphasize centralized, official oversight — not casual handling, but structured leadership with decision-making power.

This word is commonly used in formal, institutional, or bureaucratic contexts: government agencies掌管 public resources, department heads掌管 teams, and historical texts describe emperors掌管 the empire. It’s rarely used for personal, informal, or temporary responsibilities (e.g., you wouldn’t say 'I掌管 the coffee machine'). While it can apply to physical spaces (e.g., a museum), its core sense is administrative authority — making it especially relevant when discussing governance, management roles, or territorial jurisdiction.