1. a duty to deal with or take care of something
對某事的責任或義務
It is your responsibility to lock the door at night.
晚上鎖門是你的責任。
Parents have a responsibility to care for their children.
父母有責任照顧他們的孩子。
Responsibility Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
responsibility
noun
快速理解
What does "Responsibility" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Responsibility"?
指一個人或組織有義務去完成某件事或照顧某人，也指導致某事的起因。
- 1
職責與義務
EN: A duty to deal with or take care of something, so that it is your fault if something goes wrong.
翻譯: 指必須處理或照顧某事的職責或義務，如果出錯便是你的過失。
- 2
需負責之事
EN: Something that it is your job or duty to deal with.
翻譯: 指你工作或職責中需要處理的具體事務。
- 3
責任歸屬
EN: The state or fact of being the person who caused something to happen.
翻譯: 指作為導致某事發生的人所處的狀態或事實。
- 4
獨立自主
EN: The opportunity or ability to act independently and make decisions without being told what to do.
翻譯: 指能獨立行動、自主做決定的機會或能力。
小提醒：注意不可數與可數的用法差異：泛指『責任感』或『責任』時為不可數名詞 (a sense of responsibility)；指具體的『職責、任務』時則為可數名詞 (many responsibilities)。
發音（How to Pronounce "Responsibility" in English）
How to pronounce "Responsibility" in English?"Responsibility" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Responsibility" from YouTube Videos
South Korea would accept Trump-Kim deal to freeze North Korea’s nuclear programme | BBC News
BBC News
“>>. As president, I feel a profound sense of responsibility for the harsh treatment of our people, who were detained without committing any serious crimes.”
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Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Responsibility"?How does "Responsibility" change by context?
2. the state of being accountable for something
對某事負責的狀態
The manager took full responsibility for the project's failure.
經理為專案的失敗承擔了全部責任。
He accepted responsibility for the mistake.
他為這個錯誤承擔了責任。
3. something that you are expected to do as part of your job or role
作為工作或角色一部分而需要承擔的事務
Her responsibilities include managing the team and preparing reports.
她的職責包括管理團隊和準備報告。
With the new promotion came greater responsibilities.
隨著新的晉升，責任也更大了。
4. the quality of being reliable and making good decisions
可靠且能做出良好決斷的品質
She showed great responsibility in handling the difficult situation.
她在處理這個困難局面時表現出極大的責任感。
We need to hire someone who demonstrates responsibility.
我們需要僱用一個表現出責任感的人。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Responsibility"?How to make natural sentences with "Responsibility"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| take responsibility for + noun/gerund | 為…承擔責任 | The CEO took full responsibility for the company's failure. (執行長為公司的失敗承擔了全部責任。) |
| have a responsibility to + verb | 有責任去做… | Citizens have a responsibility to vote. (公民有責任去投票。) |
| be someone's responsibility | 是某人的責任 | It is your responsibility to lock the door. (鎖門是你的責任。) |
| a sense of responsibility | 責任感 | She has a strong sense of responsibility towards her team. (她對她的團隊有強烈的責任感。) |
| shirk/avoid responsibility | 逃避責任 | He always tries to avoid responsibility when things go wrong. (當事情出錯時，他總是試圖逃避責任。) |
| bear/assume responsibility | 承擔責任 | The manager must bear responsibility for the decision. (經理必須為這個決定承擔責任。) |
| a position of responsibility | 負有責任的職位 | He holds a position of great responsibility in the government. (他在政府中擔任一個責任重大的職位。) |
| responsibility lies with + noun/pronoun | 責任在於… | The final responsibility lies with the project leader. (最終的責任在於專案領導人。) |
用法說明
How is "Responsibility" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Responsibility"?
responsibility for doing vs responsibility to do
- responsibility for doing 強調對「某個已發生或正在進行的行為」的責任歸屬或問責。介系詞
for後面通常接名詞或動名詞 (V-ing)，指涉一個具體的任務或行動。 - responsibility to do 強調「有待履行的義務或職責」，指向一個未來的、應完成的動作。這裡的
to是不定詞符號，後面接原形動詞，表示責任的內容是「去做某事」。 - 有時兩者可以互換，但語意焦點不同：
for doing偏向「對已做之事的責任」，to do偏向「去做某事的責任」。 EN: She accepted full responsibility for causing the accident. 翻譯: 她承擔了造成這起事故的全部責任。
EN:As a doctor, he has a responsibility to help those in need.
翻譯:身為醫生，他有責任幫助需要幫助的人。
EN:The manager took responsibility for mishandling the client's complaint.
翻譯:經理承擔了處理客戶投訴不當的責任。
EN:Every citizen has a responsibility to vote.
翻譯:每個公民都有投票的責任。
總結建議
一般情況下，表示「有責任去做某事」這個義務時，使用 responsibility to do 更為常見且直接。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Responsibility" and similar words?How to choose "Responsibility" vs alternatives?
responsibility vs duty
responsibility 強調因職位、角色或承諾而產生的責任，通常包含自主判斷的空間；duty 則更側重道德、法律或社會規範所要求的義務，帶有強制性。
responsibility vs obligation
responsibility 通常源於內在的角色或承諾；obligation 則更常指由外在合約、承諾或法律所產生的約束性責任。
responsibility vs accountability
responsibility 指被賦予的職責或任務；accountability 則強調對該職責的結果負有解釋和承擔後果的責任。
口語用法
How is "Responsibility" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Responsibility"?
引述
在對話中，當引述他人或自己說過的話時，常用 "responsibility" 來點出被指派的任務或義務。 EN: He looked at me and said, "That's your responsibility now." 翻譯: 他看著我說：「現在那是你的責任了。」
EN:I remember my boss telling me, "Taking responsibility is part of leadership."
翻譯:我記得老闆告訴我：「承擔責任是領導力的一部分。」
語氣強調
為了強調對某事的責任歸屬或重要性，說話者會加重 "responsibility" 的語氣，或使用特定的語調。 EN: This is a huge responsibility—we can't mess it up. 翻譯: 這是一個重大的責任——我們可不能搞砸了。
EN:I feel the full responsibility for this project's success.
翻譯:我對這個專案的成功負有完全的責任。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞語時，"responsibility" 有時會作為一個填充詞出現在短暫停頓後，引出一項具體義務。 EN: So, our main... responsibility... is to ensure everyone's safety. 翻譯: 所以，我們主要的…責任…是確保每個人的安全。
EN:Well, the first thing is, you know, responsibility—making sure the team stays on track.
翻譯:嗯，第一件事就是，你知道的，責任——確保團隊保持在正軌上。
正式寫作注意：以上口語用法，特別是「停頓填充」中的斷句和口語填充詞（如 "you know"），在正式報告、學術論文或商業文件中應避免使用。正式文體中應直接、明確地陳述責任內容，例如使用 "The primary duty is to ensure..." 而非口語化的填充結構。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Responsibility"?What fixed phrases with "Responsibility" should I remember?
take responsibility
verb + responsibility
承擔責任
sense of responsibility
noun + of + responsibility
責任感
bear responsibility
verb + responsibility
負有責任
shirk responsibility
verb + responsibility
逃避責任
area of responsibility
noun + of + responsibility
職責範圍
responsibility lies with
responsibility + verb + with
責任在於...
civic responsibility
adjective + responsibility
公民責任
heavy responsibility
adjective + responsibility
重責大任
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Responsibility"?Which "Responsibility" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He has a big responsibility to finish the project.
✓He has a lot of responsibility to finish the project. / He has a big responsibility in finishing the project.
While 'responsibility' is a countable noun, we typically use 'a lot of' or 'great' to describe its magnitude, not 'big'. 'Big' is more informal and less common in this context. 'A big responsibility' can be used, but it often sounds less natural than 'a lot of responsibility' or 'a great responsibility'.
×I have the responsibility of my team's success.
✓I have responsibility for my team's success. / I am responsible for my team's success.
The correct preposition after 'responsibility' (when indicating what one is accountable for) is usually 'for', not 'of'. 'Responsibility of' is used in different structures, like 'the responsibility of a manager is to...'.
×He took the responsibility to clean the office.
✓He took responsibility for cleaning the office.
The phrase 'take responsibility' is often used without an article when it means to accept blame or duty. Using 'the' can sound unnatural in this common idiom. The preposition 'for' is also required before the task.
×My main responsibility are answering emails.
✓My main responsibility is answering emails.
'Responsibility' is a singular noun. The verb and any pronouns referring to it must be singular ('is', 'it'), even if the task described involves multiple actions.
×It's my responsibility to salute the officer.
✓It's my duty to salute the officer.
'Responsibility' often implies a moral obligation or a task one is trusted to perform. 'Duty' is more about a required action based on rules, laws, or one's position (especially in military or formal contexts). They are similar but not always interchangeable.
×My job comes with many responsibility.
✓My job comes with many responsibilities.
When referring to multiple specific tasks or areas one is accountable for, 'responsibility' should be pluralized to 'responsibilities'. Use the plural form when preceded by 'many', 'several', 'various', etc.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Responsibility"?What are tense/participle forms of "Responsibility"?