责任

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Character Breakdown

Understanding 责任 (zérèn)

The word 责任 means "responsibility" or "duty" and is commonly used to express the obligation someone has to perform or be accountable for something. It often appears in contexts involving personal, legal, or social duties.

Usage Notes

责任 is a noun and can be used to talk about moral, legal, or social responsibilities. It often collocates with verbs like 承担 (to bear), (to bear/assume), and (towards). For example, 承担责任 means "to take responsibility."

Common Collocations

  • 承担责任: to bear responsibility, used when someone accepts or is assigned a duty.
  • 负责: to be responsible, often describing a person’s attitude.
  • 法律责任: legal responsibility, used in formal or legal contexts.

Register and Tone

责任 is neutral and formal enough for both spoken and written Chinese. It is appropriate in everyday conversations, business, and legal contexts.

Common Confusion

Don’t confuse 责任 with 义务 (yìwù), which means "obligation" or "duty" but often implies a more formal or legal requirement, whereas 责任 can be broader, including moral responsibility.

Example Sentences

Everyone should be responsible for their own actions and bear the

As the leader of the team, he took on more responsibility.

The company has legal responsibility for the product quality.