责任

• Pinyin: zé rèn
• Hanzi breakdown: 责 = 贝 (shell/money) + top component, simplified from 責, meaning 'to demand'; 任 = 亻(人) (person) + 壬 (phonetic), meaning 'to bear' or 'to appoint'

Meaning

Responsibility; duty; obligation. The state of being accountable for something or having a duty to fulfil.

Covers both the sense of duty (有责任 = have a responsibility) and accountability (负责任 = be responsible, 责任在他 = the responsibility lies with him). Common phrases: 责任感 (sense of responsibility), 责任心 (responsible attitude).

Examples

1. 保护环境是每个人的责任。 Protecting the environment is everyone's responsibility.
2. 他是一个很有责任感的人。 He is a person with a strong sense of responsibility.
3. 这次失败的责任在我。 The responsibility for this failure lies with me.

Usage Guide

Context: work, moral, social

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 这是我的责任，我会处理好。(This is my responsibility, I will handle it well.)
• 父母对孩子有养育的责任。(Parents have the responsibility of raising their children.)

Don't Say

• 你太责任了。(Don't use 责任 as an adjective — say 你太有责任心了 or 你很负责任)

Origin & History

责 (to blame, to demand) + 任 (to appoint, to bear). Together: a burden that is demanded of someone — responsibility.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal