Meaning
The kanji 任 covers the meanings of duty, responsibility, entrusting, and appointing. The character captures the relationship between a person and an obligation they carry — whether assigned from above or willingly taken on. It can describe the accountability a professional holds, the formal act of placing someone in authority, or the personal gesture of handing a task to someone you trust.
Structurally, 任 has two parts. The left side is 亻 (にんべん), the person radical from 人 (hito, person), marking this as a character about human roles. The right side is 壬 (みずのえ), an old character depicting a figure standing upright with a load. Together they suggest a person bearing something placed upon them — a duty carried with steadiness.
This structure shows up directly in modern usage. A manager appoints someone (任命). An employee takes responsibility (責任). A friend entrusts a job to you (任せる). In each case, 任 sits at the center of that exchange.
任 has 6 strokes and is a Grade 5 elementary school kanji. It belongs to the 人 radical group (にんべん). At JLPT N2, it appears regularly in workplace writing, news, legal documents, and academic texts.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi of 任 is ニン, drawn from its historical Chinese pronunciation. This reading dominates formal and written Japanese, appearing in compounds about duties, appointments, and official responsibilities. In newspaper headlines, official documents, or academic texts, 任 is almost always read as ニン.
This reading anchors a cluster of must-know N2 vocabulary. Once you see how ニン pairs with other kanji, a wide range of professional and civic terms become readable.
- 任務 (ninmu) — mission, duty, assigned task
- 責任 (sekinin) — responsibility, accountability
- 任命 (ninmei) — appointment, nomination to a post
- 担任 (tannin) — homeroom teacher, person in charge of a class
- 任期 (ninki) — term of office, period of tenure
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi readings are まか(せる) and まか(す), both meaning "to entrust" or "to leave something entirely to someone." These carry a warmer, more personal tone than the on'yomi compounds, and both are common in everyday spoken Japanese. The standard form is 任せる (makaseru); 任す (makasu) is a slightly more colloquial or literary variant found in fiction and older speech.
任せる works across registers — casual conversation, polite business language, even restaurant menus. The phrase 「お任せします」 (omakase shimasu, "I'll leave it up to you") is universally recognized. In the culinary world, omakase means trusting the chef to select your meal. The same verb covers everything from delegating a project to leaving dinner in the chef's hands.
- 任せる (makaseru) — to entrust, to leave to someone, to delegate
- 任す (makasu) — to entrust (colloquial or literary form)
Common Words & Compounds
The kanji 任 runs through a wide vocabulary, especially in formal and professional contexts. The groups below connect related words into easier-to-remember clusters.
Responsibility & Duty
- 責任 (sekinin) — responsibility, accountability; one of the most common N2 words
- 任務 (ninmu) — duty, mission, assigned task
- 重任 (jūnin) — heavy responsibility, a weighty mission
- 大任 (tainin) — a great responsibility, a major undertaking
Appointment & Official Position
- 任命 (ninmei) — appointment, formal nomination to a post
- 担任 (tannin) — homeroom teacher; the person officially in charge of a class
- 主任 (shunin) — chief, section head, person in charge
- 就任 (shūnin) — assumption of office, inauguration into a role
- 辞任 (jinin) — resignation from an official post
- 留任 (ryūnin) — retention in office, continuation in one's post
- 歴任 (rekinin) — holding successive posts, a series of appointments over time
- 任期 (ninki) — term of office, the official duration of an appointment
Delegation, Freedom & Trust
- 委任 (inin) — delegation of authority, formal commission to act on one's behalf
- 放任 (hōnin) — laissez-faire, non-interference, letting things run their course
- 任意 (nin'i) — optional, voluntary, at one's own discretion; also used in legal contexts to mean "arbitrary" or "at will"
Example Sentences
この仕事は君に任せるよ。
Kono shigoto wa kimi ni makaseru yo.
I'll leave this job to you.
彼女は大切な任務を見事に果たした。
Kanojo wa taisetsu na ninmu wo migoto ni hatashita.
She fulfilled an important mission brilliantly.
新しい部長に任命されました。
Atarashii buchō ni ninmei saremashita.
I was appointed as the new department head.
担任の先生はとても親切で厳しい。
Tannin no sensei wa totemo shinsetsu de kibishii.
My homeroom teacher is very kind but strict.
責任を持って行動することが大切です。
Sekinin wo motte kōdō suru koto ga taisetsu desu.
It is important to act with a sense of responsibility.
大臣はスキャンダルを受けて辞任を表明した。
Daijin wa sukyandaru wo ukete jinin wo hyōmei shita.
The minister announced his resignation following the scandal.
その案件の処理は田中さんに委任した。
Sono anken no shori wa Tanaka-san ni inin shita.
I delegated the handling of that matter to Mr. Tanaka.
参加は任意ですので、無理に来なくても大丈夫です。
Sanka wa nin'i desu node, muri ni konakute mo daijōbu desu.
Participation is optional, so you do not need to force yourself to come.
彼は重要なポストに就任し、多くの改革を進めた。
Kare wa jūyō na posuto ni shūnin shi, ōku no kaikaku wo susumeta.
He assumed an important position and pushed forward many reforms.
放任主義の教育は、子供の自主性を育てることもある。
Hōnin shugi no kyōiku wa, kodomo no jishusei wo sodateru koto mo aru.
A laissez-faire approach to education can sometimes nurture children's independence.
Memory Tip
Picture a person (亻) standing upright with a heavy load (壬) on their back. That load is not cargo — it is their duty, placed on them by someone who trusts them to carry it. Like a courier delivering a package on behalf of another, the person inside 任 acts on behalf of an employer, a teacher, or an institution. When you see this kanji, think: "A person carrying what was given to them."
For the kun'yomi まかせる, anchor it to 「お任せします」 — the same words you say to a sushi chef when you trust them to choose your meal. That same expression turns up in offices when a manager hands off a project. From the omakase counter to the boardroom, 任 always comes down to one person placing trust in another.