担 (dān) - to carry on a shoulder pole & to bear

担Tone 1

dān ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 扌

橙丁

担 · dān

to carry on a shoulder pole;

to bear;

to undertake;

to take responsibility;

a burden;

a load;

a unit of weight (50 kg)

to carry on a shoulder poleto bearto undertake

Usage highlights

to bear responsibilityto worryburdento shoulder a loadto take the lead roleto carry on a pole

Synonyms

  • 扛— to carry on shoulder
  • 负— to bear, to carry
  • 承— to undertake, to bear

Antonyms

  • 卸— to unload, to remove burden
  • 推— to push away, to decline responsibility

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He carries water with a shoulder pole (担水).
  • She bears heavy responsibilities (担责任).
  • This is a heavy burden (重担).
  • We need someone to take charge (担纲).

Collocations

  • to bear responsibility(担当)
  • to worry(担心)
  • burden(负担)
  • to shoulder a load(担子)
  • to take the lead role(担纲)
  • to carry on a pole(担挑)

Idioms

  • To bear heavy responsibilities(担重任)
  • To carry the world on one's shoulders(担天下)
  • Burdened with worries and responsibilities(心事担担)
  • To shoulder the important task(担大任)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with manual labor using shoulder poles for carrying loads.
  • Represents the concept of responsibility and burden-bearing in Chinese culture.
  • The character combines the hand radical with the phonetic component 旦.

FAQ