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承担 (chéng dān) — to undertake, to assume (a responsibility, duty, cost, task, etc.)

Definition

承担 is 'to bear / take on' a responsibility, cost, or risk — it foregrounds accepting the burden. 承办 focuses on organizing a project or event; 担负 is more literary for shouldering duties.

verb
to undertaketo assume (a responsibility, duty, cost, task, etc.)

Examples

  • 承担。
    Gōng sī huì chéng dān zhè ge xiàng mù.
    The company will undertake this project.
  • 承担。
    Tā yuàn yì chéng dān suǒ yǒu fēng xiǎn.
    He is willing to assume all the risks.
  • 承担。
    Tā yǐ jīng chéng dān le zé rèn.
    She has taken on the responsibility.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

承chéngaccept
担dāncarry

承 and 担 both mean accepting and carrying a duty, so together they mean to take on responsibility.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 卩卩jiékneeling person
  • 廾廾gǒngboth hands

承 combines 卩, a kneeling person, and 廾, both hands, to show holding or carrying.

Open 承 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
旦
旦dàn担dàn
Same sound today

In 担, the left part 扌 is the hand, showing that the action involves using the hand. The right part 旦 shows how it sounds.

Open 担 →
Appears in
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