責任
Meaning in Englishresponsibility, duty
Animated kanji stroke order
Related sentences
Word context
What it means
What does 責任 mean? It denotes a duty or obligation to act correctly and bear the consequences of one's actions. In practical terms it captures accountability for duties, ethical obligations, and the expectation to answer for outcomes.
Main meanings
- Primary sense: responsibility for duties and outcomes.
- Ethical nuance: moral obligation to act rightly.
- Legal and formal contexts: liability or accountability in law and organizations.
How to use it
Used in formal speech and writing to express obligation, accountability, and liability; collocations include 責任を負う (to bear responsibility), 責任を取る (to take responsibility), 責任を問う (to question accountability), and 責任感 (sense of responsibility).
Variants and close terms
- 義務, ぎむ — obligation
- 責務, せきむ — duty
- 職責, しょくせき — duty/responsibility (professional)
- 任務, にんむ — task/duty
- 無責任, むせきにん — irresponsible
Composition
- 責 — to blame, charge; here contributing the idea of accountability; on-reading セキ, kun-yomi 責める (semeru)
- 任 — to entrust, to undertake; here the sense of entrusted duty; on-reading ニン, kun-yomi まかせる (makaseru)
Etymology
Phonetic evolution and kanji composition 責任 is a Sino-Japanese compound read with the on'yomi セキ and ニン, combining 責 (to blame/charge) and 任 (to entrust/undertake).
Origin
Origin and history: The concept originated in Chinese thought and was introduced to Japan with kanbun and Buddhist/legal texts, becoming common in administrative language by the Edo period and in modern times in corporate and public life.
Word class
Noun (名詞)