责任 (zé rèn) — responsibility, duty; blame | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

责任 covers both 'responsibility/duty' (a role's obligation) and 'blame' (fault for something bad). 职责 is more formal, tied to a job position; 任务 is a task, not an obligation.

noun

responsibilitydutyblame

Measure word · 个

Examples

责任。
Měi gè rén dōu yào chéng dān zì jǐ de zé rèn.
Everyone must take responsibility for their own actions.
责任。
Zhè jiàn shì de zé rèn bú zài tā.
The blame for this matter does not lie with him.
，责任。
Chū le shì gù, lǐng dǎo yào chéng dān zhè ge zé rèn.
When an accident happens, the leader must bear this 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.

责 and 任 both mean duty, so the pair means responsibility.

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 責; 责 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèicowry; money

Sound part声符shēngfú

朿

朿cì責zé

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 責 pairs 貝, cowry/money, with 朿 as the sound part; the simplified 责 is a later shorthand.

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

亻壬任

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.

Appears in

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