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責任 (せきにん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

責せき任にん

せ

き

に

ん

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 1,000

Meanings

1

noun

duty; responsibility

Refers to the obligation or role one must fulfill, including supervisory responsibility over others.

彼かれは自じ分ぶんの責せき任にんを果はたした。
He fulfilled his duty.
このプロジェクトの責せき任にんは私わたしにあります。

The responsibility for this project lies with me.

2

noun

liability; onus

Used in legal, financial, or formal contexts to indicate accountability or the burden of obligation.

事じ故この責せき任にんは運うん転てん手しゅにある。
Liability for the accident rests with the driver.

Written forms

責せき任にんUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency word.
セキニンUsage<1%

Kanji

責blame, condemn, censure
任responsibility, duty, term

Similar words

義ぎ務む
義務 is a more formal, legalistic term for an obligation or duty, often imposed by law or contract, while 責任 emphasizes the burden or accountability one carries.

Etymology

Compound of 責 (せき, 'blame, responsibility') and 任 (にん, 'duty, office'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination has long been used to express the concept of responsibility.