📖 Meaning
One's duty cannot be shifted to others; the responsibility rests squarely on oneself and must not be evaded. It conveys a strong sense of moral obligation and personal accountability.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom evolved from classical Chinese prose, with 贷 (dài) meaning 'to excuse, to shift (blame or responsibility)' and 旁 (páng) meaning 'to the side' or 'to others.' It crystallized as a four-character expression in Ming and Qing dynasty literature, used by scholars and officials to declare that a given duty was theirs alone to bear and could not be passed on. While no single canonical text is universally cited as its sole source, the phrasing appears in numerous works from that period, reflecting Confucian ideals of accepting one's appointed role and its attendant obligations without deflection.
💡 Example Usage
作为团队负责人，确保项目按时交付是我责无旁贷的事情。
As the team leader, ensuring the project is delivered on time is a duty I cannot shirk.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 责无旁贷
- Pinyin: zé wú páng dài
- Literal Translation: responsibility, no, side, shirk
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4