When combined, 负责人 (fùzérèn) literally means “bear-duty-person”—a straightforward and powerful description of someone who carries the responsibility for something.
In Chinese culture, clarity of roles and accountability are highly valued, both in business and social settings. The concept of 负责人 (fùzérèn) is central to this value. Identifying the 负责人 is the first step in solving a problem or moving a project forward. It eliminates ambiguity and ensures that someone is ultimately answerable for the outcome. A useful comparison is to the Western business concept of a “DRI” (Directly Responsible Individual) or a “point person.” However, 负责人 is a much more common and broadly applied term in China. While an American might ask, “Who's running this project?” or “Who's our contact for this?”, a Chinese person will very directly ask, “这个项目的负责人是谁？” (Who is the fùzérèn for this project?). This term reflects a pragmatic approach to getting things done. It's less about the hierarchy of titles and more about the functional hierarchy of responsibility. The 负责人 might be a junior employee, but for their specific task, their responsibility is clear and respected. This ensures that tasks don't fall through the cracks in a collectivist environment where group work is the norm.
负责人 (fùzérèn) is an extremely common term used in a wide variety of contexts.
The most common mistake for English speakers is confusing 负责人 (fùzérèn) with a description of someone's personality.
Another key point is differentiating 负责人 from other titles of authority: