Dictionary › 任

任

rèn

HSK 4 Character

What 任 means

1. to assign
2. to appoint
3. to take up a post
4. office
5. responsibility
6. to let
7. to allow
8. to give free rein to
9. no matter (how, what etc)
10. classifier for terms served in office, or for spouses, girlfriends etc (as in 前任男友)

Other readings

任 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• Rénsurname Ren

Example sentences

• 我信任他。
  I trust him.
• 我信任你。
  I trust you.
• 任务完成。
  Mission accomplished.
• 按任何键。
  Press any key.
• 他身肩重任。
  A great responsibility lies on his shoulders.
• 您信任我吗？
  Do you trust me?

Words starting with 任

• 任何rèn héany; whatever; whichever
• 任务rèn wumission; assignment; task; duty; role
• 任意rèn yìany; arbitrary; at will
• 任命rèn mìngto appoint; (job) appointment
• 任性rèn xìngwillful; headstrong; unruly
• 任重道远rèn zhòng dào yuǎna heavy load and a long road; fig. to bear heavy responsibilities through a long struggle…
• 任教rèn jiàoto hold a teaching position
• 任职rèn zhíto hold a post; to take office
• 任凭rèn píngno matter what; despite; to allow (sb to act arbitrarily)
• 任由rèn yóuto let (sb do sth); to allow; regardless of
• 任期rèn qīterm of office; tenure (entire period in office)
• 任课rèn kèto give classes; to work as a teacher
• 任选rèn xuǎnto choose freely; to pick whichever one fancies
• 任劳任怨rèn láo rèn yuànto work hard without complaint (idiom)
• 任用rèn yòngto appoint; to assign
• 任意球rèn yì qiúfree kick (football); free throw (handball); free hit (field hockey)
• 任免rèn miǎnto appoint and dismiss
• 任内rèn nèiperiod in office
• 任事rèn shìappointment to an important post
• 任人rèn rénto appoint (sb to a post)
• 任所rèn suǒone's office; place where one holds a post
• 任安Rén ĀnRen An (-c. 90 BC), Han Dynasty general, also called Ren Shaoqing 任少卿
• 任情rèn qíngto let oneself go; to do as much as one pleases
• 任从rèn cóngat one's discretion

Words containing 任

• 责任zé rènresponsibility; duty; liability
• 信任xìn rènto trust; to have confidence in
• 担任dān rènto hold a governmental office or post; to assume office of; to take charge of
• 班主任bān zhǔ rènteacher in charge of a class
• 主任zhǔ rèndirector; head
• 上任shàng rènto take office; previous (incumbent); predecessor
• 现任xiàn rènto occupy a post currently; current (president etc); incumbent…
• 责任感zé rèn gǎnsense of responsibility
• 出任chū rènto take up a post; to start in a new job
• 系主任xì zhǔ rènhead of a (university) department; department chair
• 前任qián rènpredecessor; ex-; former
• 兼任jiān rènto hold a concurrent post; part-time; (in academia) adjunct
• 重任zhòng rènheavy responsibility
• 责任心zé rèn xīnsense of responsibility
• 胜任shèng rènqualified; competent (professionally); to be up to a task
• 到任dào rènto take office; to assume a post
• 新任xīn rènnewly-appointed; newly elected; new (in a political office)
• 时任shí rènthen (as in "the then chairman")
• 历任lì rèn(of one person) to hold the successive posts of; (of several persons) the successive…
• 责任人zé rèn rénresponsible person; coordinator
• 连任lián rènto continue in (a political) office; to serve for another term of office
• 就任jiù rènto take office; to assume a post
• 放任fàng rènto ignore; to let alone; to indulge
• 接任jiē rènto take over (as minister, manager etc)

Characters built on 壬

These share the phonetic component 壬 (rén), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 饪rèncooked food; to cook (until ready)
• 妊rènpregnant; pregnancy
• 衽rèn(literary) overlapping part of Chinese gown; lapel; sleeping mat
• 纴rènto weave; to lay warp for weaving; silk thread for weaving

Characters that look like 任

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 伤shāngto injure; injury; wound
• 仔zǐ(bound form) (of domestic animals or fowl) young; (bound form) fine; detailed
• 佣yōngto hire; to employ; servant
• 仕shìto serve as an official; an official; the two chess pieces in Chinese chess guarding the…
• 佚yì(bound form) (of a book, author etc) lost (to the ages); (bound form) reclusive
• 伍wǔsquad of five soldiers; to associate with; five (banker's anti-fraud numeral)

Sounds the same

Read rèn, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 认to recognize; to know; to admit
• 韧annealed; pliable but strong; tough
• 饪cooked food; to cook (until ready)
• 刃edge of blade
• 仞unit of length used in ancient times, equal to 7 or 8 Chinese feet 尺
• 妊pregnant; pregnancy
• 纫to thread (a needle); (bound form) to sew; to stitch; (literary) very grateful
• 轫brake
• 衽(literary) overlapping part of Chinese gown; lapel; sleeping mat
• 牣fill up; to stuff
• 讱(literary) slow in speech
• 鵀hoopoe