責 means “responsibility, blame”

せき · seki

Also: condemn, censure

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

せめる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

セキ

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 5 · 11 strokes

The story

A thorn (朿, squeezed into the top) pressed against money (貝): in its oldest sense 責 was demanding that a debt be paid. Now it is duty: 責任 is responsibility, and the 責任者 is who you ask for when something goes wrong.

Used in 責任 (sekinin, responsibility), 責める (semeru, to blame), and 責任者 (sekininsha, person in charge)

More from Law & Order

• 捕 catch
• 危 dangerous
• 険 steep
• 罪 crime
• 犯 offense
• 逃 escape
• 盗 steal
• 制 control
• 治 heal
• 権 right
• 規 rule
• 害 harm

Learn 責 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.