担任 (dānrèn)

担任 describes the formal holding of a position, role, or responsibility, often in an official or professional context.

Meanings

[verb] To serve as, to hold (a position or role), to take on (a responsibility).

Example Sentences

他在这家公司担任首席财务官已有十年之久。 Tā zài zhè jiā gōngsī dānrèn shǒuxí cáiwùguān yǐ yǒu shí nián zhī jiǔ. He has served as Chief Financial Officer of this company for ten years.

她被邀请担任本届国际学术会议的主席。 Tā bèi yāoqǐng dānrèn běn jiè guójì xuéshù huìyì de zhǔxí. She was invited to serve as chair of this year's international academic conference.

在这部电影中，他担任导演兼主演，承担了极大的压力。 Zài zhè bù diànyǐng zhōng, tā dānrèn dǎoyǎn jiān zhǔyǎn, chéngdān le jí dà de yālì. In this film, he served as both director and lead actor, taking on enormous pressure.

学校希望有经验的教师担任新教师的导师，帮助他们尽快适应。 Xuéxiào xīwàng yǒu jīngyàn de jiàoshī dānrèn xīn jiàoshī de dǎoshī, bāngzhù tāmen jǐnkuài shìyìng. The school hopes experienced teachers will serve as mentors to new teachers to help them adapt quickly.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
担任职务	to hold a position
担任主席	to serve as chairperson
曾担任	to have previously served as
担任角色	to take on a role
担任顾问	to serve as an advisor

Usage Notes

担任 is more formal than 做 when describing roles. You would say 他担任总经理 in a formal context, but 他做总经理 in casual speech. 担任 implies an official appointment and typically refers to positions with defined responsibilities. It does not work for casual tasks — you would not say 担任做饭 to mean "handle cooking."

Memory Hook

担 means "to carry/shoulder" and 任 means "duty/responsibility" — to shoulder a duty means you have taken on a formal role.