胜任

• Pinyin: shèng rèn
• Hanzi breakdown: 胜 = 月 + 朕 (to endure, to be capable of); 任 = 亻+ 壬 (responsibility, to take on a role)

Meaning

To be competent for; to be equal to; to be capable of handling a role or responsibility adequately.

Describes a person's capacity to fulfil the demands of a position or task. Often used in HR, management, and appraisal contexts. Common collocations: 胜任工作 (competent in one's job), 能否胜任 (whether one is capable), 不能胜任 (unable to handle the role). The opposite is 力不从心 (the will is there but the ability falls short).

Examples

1. 这位候选人拥有丰富的行业经验和卓越的领导能力，完全能够胜任这一职位。 This candidate has extensive industry experience and outstanding leadership skills, and is fully qualified for the position.
2. 转岗后，她通过密集培训和自主学习，逐渐胜任了新的技术管理工作。 After transferring to a new role, she gradually became competent in her new technical management work through intensive training and self-study.
3. 公司在任命高管前，会通过多轮评估来确认候选人是否真正胜任该职位的核心职责。 Before appointing senior executives, the company conducts multiple rounds of evaluations to confirm whether the candidate is truly capable of handling the role’s core responsibilities.

Usage Guide

Context: HR, management, education, workplace

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 经过半年的系统培训，他已具备独立主持大型项目的能力，完全可以胜任项目负责人一职。(After six months of systematic training, he now has the ability to manage large projects independently and is fully competent for the role of project leader.)
• 管理者必须诚实评估团队成员的实际能力，确保每个人都被安排在自己真正能够胜任的岗位上。(Managers must honestly assess the actual capabilities of team members to ensure everyone is placed in a position they are truly competent to fill.)

Don't Say

• 胜任 to describe winning a competition — 胜任 means to be competent for a role or task, not to defeat others; use 胜出 or 赢 for competitive victories

Origin & History

胜 (to be able to withstand; to bear) + 任 (responsibility, duty, to take on)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal