責

音読おんよみ: セキ

訓読くんよみ:める

画数かくすう: 11 strokes

部首ぶしゅ: 貝(かい)

Meaning

Blame / Accuse / Responsibility / Duty

  • 責任せきにん — responsibility
  • 自責じせき — self-blame
  • 職責しょくせき — job duty
  • める — to blame; to condemn
  • 面責めんせき — face-to-face accusation
  • 免責めんせき — exemption from liability

責 is a phono-semantic compound. The top part derives from the sound component (thorny, sharp), while the bottom 貝 (shell/money) indicates something valuable or burdened. Together, it expresses pressure or blame — metaphorically extracting accountability from someone, especially in a duty-bound sense.

かれ自分じぶん失敗しっぱいめた。
He blamed himself for the failure.

責任せきにんって 行動こうどうしてください。
Please act with responsibility.

任
Creates
責任せきにん — responsibility
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