离任 (lí rèn) — to leave one's post (especially an official or professional position)

Definition

Formal verb meaning to leave an official post (a mayor, ambassador, CEO, etc.). Pairs with 就职; use instead of 下台 when the departure is a planned rotation, not removal.

verb
to leave one's post (especially an official or professional position)

Examples

  • 离任。
    Zhè wèi shì zhǎng míng nián jiù yào lí rèn le.
    This mayor is going to leave his post next year.
  • ，。
    Tā yǐ jīng lí le rèn, huí lǎo jiā qù le.
    He has already left his post and gone back to his hometown.
  • 离任，。
    lí rèn Zhī qián, tā xiě le yí fèn gōng zuò zǒng jié.
    Before leaving his post, he wrote a work summary.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

离líleave
任rènpost

'离' and '任' together mean leaving an official post.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 離; 离 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
离
离lí離lí
Same sound today

The traditional form 離 pairs 隹, a bird, with the sound part 离; the simplified 离 is a shorthand. This form first wrote a black-naped oriole, and the sound was borrowed for 'leave'.

Open 离 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
壬
壬rén任rèn
Same sound today

任 pairs 亻, a person, with 壬, which may picture a shoulder pole turned sideways.

Open 任 →

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