What is the meaning of 'Take responsibility'? With which prepositions does 'Take responsibility' go?

1. What is Responsibility? What is 'Take responsibility'?

1.1. What is Responsibility? 

Before explaining what 'take responsibility' means, we need to understand the meaning and type of the word 'responsibility'. 

This is a noun, meaning according to the Oxford dictionary: Something that it is your job or duty to deal with. It means responsibility, a task that someone is obliged to do. 

Other types of words related to responsibility include: 

• Responsible (tính từ): có trách nhiệm 
• Responsibly (trạng từ): một cách có trách nhiệm

1.2. What does Take responsibility mean? 

Take responsibility is a phrase that means to accept responsibility for something.

For example: I will take responsibility for my decision. (Tôi sẽ chịu trách nhiệm cho quyết định của mình.) 

Taking responsibility here is a verb phrase. It is used when someone has recognized their mistake or issue, acknowledges it, and has a direction to resolve it. 

Taking responsibility includes the following actions: 

• Be aware of the problem: Nhận thức vấn đề. 
• Honesty to recognize the cause: Thành thực nhìn nhận ra những vấn đề bị gây ra.
• Willing to correct the fault: Sẵn sàng sửa sai.
• Take action and say sorry: Hành động và xin lỗi. 

1.3. What does Take responsibility for mean?

Besides using the noun 'responsibility' with 'take', we can also use the adjective with the phrase 'take responsible for' with a similar meaning. 

Ta có take responsible for nghĩa là chịu trách nhiệm cho điều gì, việc gì.

For example: Mike takes responsibility for designing the entire project. (Mike chịu trách nhiệm về việc thiết kế cả dự án.)

1.4. What does 'Be responsible for' mean?

'Responsible' is an adjective, so it is used with the verb 'to be'. We have: 

'Be responsible for + Ving': to take responsibility for something.

For example: Mike is responsible for designing the entire project. (Mike chịu trách nhiệm về việc thiết kế cả dự án.)

1.5. What does 'Have responsibility for' mean?

'Have responsibility for' means to have responsibility for something. This expression is often used to describe someone who has a responsibility that needs to be fulfilled. 

For example: They have responsibility for ensuring the rules are enforced. (Họ có trách nhiệm đảm bảo các quy tắc được thực thi.)

1.6. What does 'Take on responsibility' mean?

Take on is a verb phrase, meaning to accept or hire something. When combined with the noun 'responsibility', it forms a phrase meaning to take responsibility for something. This phrase is commonly used in the field of economics.

2. Which prepositions does 'Responsibility' go with?

Responsibility là một danh từ, nghĩa là trách nhiệm, nhiệm vụ. Để mô tả một cách đầy đủ về trách nhiệm của ai, trách nhiệm về cái gì, hay có trách nhiệm làm gì, sau đó cần có thêm giới từ và các từ liên quan đi kèm.

Responsibility đi với giới từ to, for, towards cụ thể:

Responsibility to do something: The duty to perform something 

For example: I am responsible for watering the plants in the garden. (Tôi có trách nhiệm tưới cây trong vườn.)

Responsibility towards someone: Having a responsibility towards someone.

For example: Employers have responsibilities towards their employees. (Những nhà tuyển dụng có trách nhiệm đối với nhân viên của họ.)

Responsibility for something: Responsibility for something.

For example: He has taken on the responsibility for the Manufacturing Division for 2 years. (Anh ấy đã đảm nhận trách nhiệm phòng Sản xuất trong 2 năm.)

3. What prepositions does 'take responsibility' go with? Usage of 'take responsibility'.

In addition to answering what 'take responsibility' means, you need to grasp the prepositions that go with 'take responsibility' in order to apply this phrase effectively. 

Ta có take responsibility đi với giới từ for, với các cách dùng như sau:

S + take responsibility for + somebody: Taking responsibility for somebody

E.g: You've turned 18, and now you must assume responsibility for yourself. (Bạn đã 18 tuổi, và bây giờ bạn phải tự chịu trách nhiệm với bản thân.)

S + take responsibility for + someone’s action: Chịu trách nhiệm với hành động của ai.

E.g: I will bear responsibility for my own decision. (Tôi sẽ tự chịu trách nhiệm với quyết định của mình.)

S + take responsibility for + Ving + something wrong: Chịu trách nhiệm cho việc gì đó sai lầm.

E.g: Anna has to take responsibility for damaging the door. (Anna phải chịu trách nhiệm về việc làm hỏng cửa.)

4. Collocations, synonyms, and antonyms of Take responsibility

4.1. Synonyms of Take responsibility

Once you've understood the collocation with take - take responsibility, let's explore other phrases with similar meanings that can be used interchangeably with take responsibility.

• Assume/ Bear responsibility: Nhận trách nhiệm, chịu trách nhiệm.
• Be down to somebody: Trách nhiệm của ai

E.g: It’s his responsibility to find a new school for his son. (Tìm trường mới cho con trai là trách nhiệm của anh ấy.)

• Be in charge of something: Có nhiệm vụ với cái gì

E.g: I am responsible for opening the company’s door. (Tôi chịu trách nhiệm mở cửa công ty.)

• Bear/ take/ get the blame for something: Nhận lỗi cho cái gì
• To be blamed for something: Bị đổ lỗi vì cái gì
• Be responsible/ accountable/ answerable to somebody/ for something: Chịu trách nhiệm về ai/ cái gì
• To hold somebody responsible: giữ trách nhiệm gì.

4.2. Antonyms of Take responsibility 

Take responsibility means to assume responsibility. Therefore, its antonym is irresponsibility. Here are some examples: 

• Irresponsible (tính từ): vô trách nhiệm

E.g: Responsible parents (Bố mẹ có trách nhiệm).

• Irresponsibility (danh từ): sự vô trách nhiệm 
• Irresponsibly (trạng từ): một cách vô trách nhiệm

5. Exercise: What does take responsibility mean?

After understanding what take responsibility means, don't forget to do the exercise below to better memorize the learned concepts!

Exercise: Fill in the appropriate phrases and use the correct tense: responsible for, responsible to 

1. Lisa __________ the CEO because she is a secretary.
2. Daniel and London __________ locking the doors.
3. They  __________ writing reports every month.
4. Last night, people in the office  __________ the accident.
5. Who  __________ making this mess?
6. I don’t want to work there because if I did, I  __________ Ms. Lan. She is very strict.
7. No one wants to  __________ what happened.
8. My neighbors  __________ all the noises.

1. Is responsible to
2. Are/were/will be… responsible for
3. Are/were/will be… responsible for
4. Were responsible for
5. Is/was responsible for
6. Would be responsible to
7. Be responsible for
8. Are/were responsible for