Meaning
委 means to hand something over — a task, a decision, an authority — placing it squarely in someone else's care. In Japanese you'll encounter it most in formal and organizational settings: committees, official delegations, and outsourcing contracts.
The character combines 禾 (grain stalks) on top and 女 (woman) below. The original image is of grain stalks bending gently under their own weight — a natural, graceful yielding. That posture of bowing forward extended over centuries into the idea of yielding control. Handing over responsibility. Placing trust in another.
Japanese children learn this kanji in Grade 3 of elementary school, where classroom committee roles (委員) are part of daily school life. At 8 strokes, with the radical 女, it's compact for the weight it carries in formal Japanese. N2 learners will see it regularly across news articles, business documents, and legal texts.
One subtler use: in literary or formal writing, 委細 means full particulars — a complete, careful account. Even there, the sense of deliberate, thorough handover comes through.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is イ (i). This is the reading you'll find in compound words across newspapers, legal documents, and organizational names — and by far the more common reading in daily use.
- 委員 (iin) — committee member; a person serving on a formal committee or board
- 委任 (inin) — delegation of authority; the formal act of entrusting power to another person
- 委託 (itaku) — consignment, outsourcing; entrusting a task or goods to an outside party
- 委員会 (iinkai) — committee, commission; a formal group entrusted with a specific function
- 委嘱 (ishoku) — commissioned appointment; formally entrusting a role to a specific individual
- 委細 (isai) — full details, particulars; a complete account of something (literary/formal)
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is ゆだ(ねる) — yuda(neru). The verb ゆだねる means to entrust or to leave entirely up to someone — even to surrender oneself completely to a person, a current, or a situation. It sits at the more emotional and literary end of the spectrum, quite different from the bureaucratic tone of the on'yomi compounds.
- 委ねる (yudaneru) — to entrust; to leave a decision entirely in someone else's hands (cf. 任せる, a close synonym with a slightly more casual feel)
- 身を委ねる (mi wo yudaneru) — to surrender oneself; to give yourself over completely to a person, a flow, or a situation
- 運命に委ねる (unmei ni yudaneru) — to leave to fate; to place one's outcome in destiny's hands
Common Words & Compounds
委 runs through a wide range of formal Japanese — from school councils to corporate contracts. Here are key compounds grouped by context.
Organizational & Political:
- 委員 (iin) — committee member
- 委員会 (iinkai) — committee, commission
- 常任委員会 (jounin iinkai) — standing committee
- 国会委員会 (kokkai iinkai) — parliamentary committee
Delegation & Authority:
- 委任 (inin) — delegation of authority
- 委任状 (ininjo) — power of attorney, letter of authorization
- 委嘱 (ishoku) — commissioned appointment
- 受託 (jutaku) — receiving a commission (paired with 委託)
Business & Outsourcing:
- 委託 (itaku) — consignment, outsourcing
- 委託販売 (itaku hanbai) — consignment sale
- 業務委託 (gyoumu itaku) — business outsourcing; contracting out operations
Literary & Formal:
- 委細 (isai) — full particulars, complete details
- 委曲 (ikyoku) — the whole story, full account (formal/literary)
Example Sentences
彼女は学校の委員会に選ばれた。
Kanojo wa gakkou no iinkai ni erabareta.
She was chosen for the school committee.
この仕事は外部の会社に委託した。
Kono shigoto wa gaibu no kaisha ni itaku shita.
This work was outsourced to an outside company.
父は弁護士に委任状を渡した。
Chichi wa bengoshi ni ininjo wo watashita.
My father gave a power of attorney to his lawyer.
全てを運命に委ねることはできない。
Subete wo unmei ni yudaneru koto wa dekinai.
You cannot leave everything up to fate.
委員長は会議の進行を担当した。
Iinchou wa kaigi no shinkou wo tantou shita.
The committee chairperson ran the meeting.
業務を委託する際は契約書が必要だ。
Gyoumu wo itaku suru sai wa keiyakusho ga hitsuyou da.
When outsourcing work, a contract is required.
彼はその決定を部下に委ねた。
Kare wa sono kettei wo buka ni yudaneta.
He left that decision to his subordinate.
専門家に委嘱された調査の結果が発表された。
Senmonka ni ishoku sareta chousa no kekka ga happyou sareta.
The results of the survey commissioned to experts were announced.
委細については後ほどご連絡いたします。
Isai ni tsuite wa nochihodo go-renraku itashimasu.
We will be in touch shortly with the full details.
Memory Tip
Picture a woman (女) standing beneath bending grain stalks (禾), hands outstretched: "I entrust this harvest to you." The stalks bow forward under their own weight — a natural, graceful yielding. That image is 委: something valuable handed over with care and intention. When you see this kanji, remember: the grain bends — you delegate.