责

Tap the pinyin to hear it

duty; responsibility; to reproach; to blame

Make a writing worksheet

HSK 3.0: Level 3
Old HSK: Level 4
Strokes: 8
Radical: 貝 +4
Structure: Top–bottom 上下
Traditional: 責
Common rank: #1,084
Unicode: U+8D23

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

How 责 is formed

Ideographic compound (会意字)

Money 贝 that must be repaid

Components 龶贝

How to remember it

responsibility · Heisig RSH #1215

grow up + clam

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

Words with 责

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
人人有责	rén rén yǒu zé	it is everyone's duty
中航技进出口有限责任公司	Zhōng háng jì Jìn chū kǒu Yǒu xiàn Zé rèn Gōng sī	China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC)
民事责任	mín shì zé rèn	civil liability (law)
守土有责	shǒu tǔ yǒu zé	duty to defend the country (idiom)
文责自负	wén zé zì fù	the author takes sole responsibility for the views expressed here (disclaimer)
横加指责	héng jiā zhǐ zé	to blame unscrupulously
责任人	zé rèn rén	responsible person; coordinator
征名责实	zhēng míng zé shí	to seek out the real nature based on the name (idiom); to judge sth at face value
连带责任	lián dài zé rèn	to bear joint responsibility for sth; joint liability (law)
责任心	zé rèn xīn	sense of responsibility
有责任	yǒu zé rèn	liable; responsible
国家兴亡，匹夫有责	guó jiā xīng wáng , pǐ fū yǒu zé	The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone (idiom). Everyone bears responsibility f…
天下兴亡，匹夫有责	tiān xià xīng wáng , pǐ fū yǒu zé	The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone (idiom). Everyone bears responsibility f…
自责	zì zé	to blame oneself
问责性	wèn zé xìng	accountability
开脱罪责	kāi tuō zuì zé	to absolve sb from guilt; to exonerate; to exculpate
农村家庭联产承包责任制	nóng cūn jiā tíng lián chǎn chéng bāo zé rèn zhì	rural household contract responsibility system, PRC government policy linking rural income…
责任事故	zé rèn shì gù	accident occurring due to negligence
责打	zé dǎ	to punish by flogging
责任制	zé rèn zhì	system of job responsibility

Sound family

These characters use 责 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
责 sound part	zé	one's responsibility, duty
渍	zì	to soak, to steep; dye, stains; sodden
啧	zé	interjection of approval or admiration
碛	qì	gravel, sand
帻	zé	turban; conical cap
箦	zé	reed mat; bedding
赜	zé	abstruse, deep, profound