责 (zé) - Responsibility, duty & to demand, to require

责Tone 2

zé ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 贝

悦丈

责 · zé

Responsibility, duty;

to demand, to require;

to blame, to reproach.

Responsibility, dutyto demand, to requireto blame, to reproach.

Usage highlights

ResponsibilityTo blameTo demandTo interrogateTo reproachTo take responsibility

Synonyms

  • 责任— responsibility, duty
  • 职责— official duty, responsibility
  • 义务— obligation, duty

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Everyone has their own responsibilities (责任).
  • The teacher praised his sense of duty (责任心).
  • He was blamed for the mistake (受责备).
  • The company demands high quality (要求高质量).

Collocations

  • Responsibility(责任)
  • To blame(责备)
  • To demand(责成)
  • To interrogate(责问)
  • To reproach(指责)
  • To take responsibility(负责)

Idioms

  • To demand perfection(求全责备)
  • To take responsibility for one's actions(责无旁贷)
  • To punish severely to serve as a warning(惩一儆百)
  • To reproach heaven and blame others(怨天尤人)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character combines '丰' (abundance) and '贝' (shell money), originally meaning 'to demand payment'.
  • In Confucian ethics, fulfilling one's responsibilities is a core virtue.
  • Modern usage emphasizes accountability and duty in social and professional contexts.

FAQ