後任

• Reading: こうにん
• Romaji: kounin
• Kanji breakdown: 後 (kou) — after, later; 任 (nin) — duty, appointment, responsibility
• Pronunciation: /ko.ɯ.ni.ɴ/

Meaning

Successor; replacement. A person who takes over a position or role from someone else.

A noun (also used as a no-adjective) referring to the person appointed to fill a role after the previous holder leaves. Common in business and organisational contexts. Collocations include 後任を探す (to look for a successor), 後任に選ばれる (to be chosen as successor), and 後任者 (successor — more formal). The opposite is 前任 (predecessor). Often appears in news about personnel changes and leadership transitions.

Examples

1. 退職する部長の後任がまだ決まっていない。 A successor for the department manager who is retiring has not yet been decided.
2. 彼女が来月から課長の後任として着任する。 She will take over as the new section chief starting next month.
3. 後任に引き継ぎをしっかりしておく必要がある。 It's important to properly hand things off to your successor.

Usage Guide

Context: business, politics, organisations, personnel

Tone: professional

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 後 (kou, after/later) + 任 (nin, duty/appointment/responsibility). Literally 'the one appointed after,' clearly marking the temporal sequence of one person following another in a role.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Professional