担任 meaning in English
to hold a governmental office or post; to assume office of
Meaning of 担任
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to hold a governmental office or post
- to assume office of
- to take charge of
- to serve as
How to use 担任
担任 is followed directly by a job title or role, and it sounds formal, so it is common in news, résumés and introductions. Example: 他担任公司的经理。(Tā dānrèn gōngsī de jīnglǐ.) He serves as the company's manager.
担 (dān) has the hand radical 扌 and means to carry on your shoulder, and 任 (rèn) means a duty or post, as in 任务 (rènwu). Picture a person shouldering a duty: 担任 is to take on and carry a role.
Common mistake: Learners often read 担 as dàn because of 担子 (dànzi, a load), but in 担任 it is first tone dān. Also, do not put 是 or 当 in front of it: say 担任经理, not 是担任经理.
担任 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
担 dān · to undertake · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
任 rèn · to assign · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 担任.
| 任何 | rènhé | any; whatever; whichever |
| 任务 | rènwu | mission; assignment; task; duty; role |
| 信任 | xìnrèn | to trust; to have confidence in |
| 责任 | zérèn | responsibility; duty; liability |
| 主任 | zhǔrèn | director; head |
| 担心 | dānxīn | anxious; worried |
| 承担 | chéngdān | to undertake; to assume (responsibility etc) |
| 负担 | fùdān | to bear (an expense, a responsibility etc); burden |
| 担保 | dānbǎo | to guarantee; to vouch for |
| 担忧 | dānyōu | to worry; to be concerned |
| 前任 | qiánrèn | predecessor; ex- |
| 任命 | rènmìng | to appoint; (job) appointment |
Questions about 担任
What does 担任 mean?
担任 (dānrèn) means "to hold a governmental office or post; to assume office of" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 担任?
担任 is made of 2 characters: 担 (8 strokes), 任 (6 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 担任 an HSK word?
Yes. 担任 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 担任 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 担任 is written 擔任.
What is the difference between 担任 and 当 (dāng)?
Both mean to serve as, but 当 is casual and everyday, as in 我想当老师. 担任 is more formal and usually used for official posts or specific roles in an organization.
Can 担任 be used with tasks or work instead of job titles?
Yes, it can take roles and some kinds of work, such as 担任翻译 (serve as interpreter) or 担任主角 (play the lead role). For general tasks, Chinese usually uses 负责 (fùzé, be in charge of) or 承担 (chéngdān, undertake) instead.