責 (zé) - Responsibility — duty, obligation & to demand, require

責Tone 2

zé ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

悦丈

責 · zé

Responsibility — duty, obligation;

to demand, require;

to blame, reproach;

debt, liability.

Responsibility — duty, obligationto demand, requireto blame, reproach

Usage highlights

ResponsibilityTo blameTo demand an explanationAccountabilityTo reproachLiability

Synonyms

  • 任— duty, responsibility
  • 职— position, duty
  • 债— debt, obligation

Antonyms

  • 权— right, authority
  • 功— merit, achievement

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Everyone has responsibilities (责任).
  • The manager will hold you accountable (问责).
  • He was blamed for the mistake (责备).
  • The company has many liabilities (债务).

Collocations

  • Responsibility(责任)
  • To blame(责备)
  • To demand an explanation(责问)
  • Accountability(问责)
  • To reproach(指责)
  • Liability(债务)

Idioms

  • To demand perfection(求全责备)
  • To take responsibility for the consequences(引咎自责)
  • To shift blame onto others(责躬引咎)
  • To punish severely to serve as a warning(罚不责众)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Confucian ethics, fulfilling one's responsibilities is central to moral conduct.
  • The concept of 责 emphasizes social obligations and moral accountability.
  • Historically used in legal and administrative contexts for official duties and liabilities.

FAQ