職 (zhí) - Duty, office, post, position & responsibility

職Tone 2

zhí ｜ 18 strokes ｜ radical:

丈志

職 · zhí

Duty, office, post, position;

responsibility;

occupation, job;

function;

to serve in an official capacity.

Duty, office, post, positionresponsibilityoccupation, job

Usage highlights

Position/PostDuty/ResponsibilityOccupation/ProfessionFunction/CapacityOfficial dutiesTake up a post

Synonyms

  • 责— Responsibility, duty
  • 位— Position, status
  • 务— Affair, task, duty

Antonyms

  • 闲— Idle, leisure (lacking duty/occupation)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He holds an important position in the company (职位).
  • Everyone should fulfill their duties (职责).
  • She is looking for a new job (职业).
  • The main function of this department is research (职能).

Collocations

  • Position/Post(职位)
  • Duty/Responsibility(职责)
  • Occupation/Profession(职业)
  • Function/Capacity(职能)
  • Official duties(职务)
  • Take up a post(任职)

Idioms

  • To each according to his work(各司其职)
  • To be unfit for one's position(不称其职)
  • To be dismissed from one's post(削职为民)
  • To stick to one's own duties(恪尽职守)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese society, holding an official 'zhi' (职) was a primary marker of male success and social status.
  • The concept is deeply linked to Confucian ideals of each person fulfilling their proper role in the family and state.
  • Modern usage retains this sense of formal responsibility within a structured organization, be it governmental or corporate.

FAQ