兼任

• Pinyin: jiān rèn
• Hanzi breakdown: 兼 = multiple things held simultaneously; 任 = 人 + 壬 (a person bearing and taking on a role — assuming a position)

Meaning

To concurrently hold a position; to serve simultaneously in an additional role alongside one's main position.

A formal administrative and professional term. Used when a person officially holds two or more positions at the same time, typically in an organisational or institutional context. 兼任 emphasises the official nature of the concurrent appointment. Compare with 兼职 (part-time/side job, often informal), which refers more to a supplementary income source rather than a formal dual appointment.

Examples

1. 校长兼任学术委员会主席一职，权力高度集中。 The principal also serves as chair of the academic committee, concentrating power to a high degree.
2. 他在担任总经理的同时，还兼任公司法律顾问。 While serving as general manager, he also acts as the company's legal counsel.
3. 该学者兼任三所大学的客座教授。 That scholar also serves as a visiting professor at three universities.

Usage Guide

Context: corporate governance, academia, government, organisational management, professional appointments

Tone: official

Do Say

• 在公司治理中，董事长与总经理是否兼任同一人长期有争议；支持者看重效率，反对者担心权力过度集中。(In corporate governance, whether the chairman and general manager should be the same person has long been debated; supporters value efficiency, while opponents worry about excessive concentration of power.)
• 这位资深外交官退休后被母校邀为国际关系学院名誉教授，兼任研究生课程，把实战经验带进课堂。(After retirement, this senior diplomat was invited by his alma mater to serve as an honorary professor at the School of International Relations and to teach graduate courses, bringing real-world experience into the classroom.)

Don't Say

• 兼任 is a formal term for official concurrent appointments — do not use it for informal side jobs or part-time work (use 兼职). 兼任 implies that the additional role is officially recognised and carries the same institutional weight as the primary role. Avoid using it for casual or temporary arrangements.

Origin & History

兼 (to hold concurrently; simultaneously) + 任 (to hold a position; to take on a role — 人 person + 壬 bearing/carrying — a person who takes on and bears a role)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal