问责 (wènzé) — to hold accountable; accountability
HSK 5 | verb/noun | the act of holding someone responsible for their actions or failures
问责 (wènzé)
问责 refers to the act of holding officials, organisations, or individuals accountable for their conduct or failures, and is a key term in Chinese governance, legal, and public administration discourse at B2 level.
Meanings
- [verb] to hold accountable; to call to account; to demand accountability from
- [noun] accountability; the process of calling someone to account
Example Sentences
政府宣布将对此次事故的相关责任人依法问责。 Zhèngfǔ xuānbù jiāng duì cǐ cì shìgù de xiāngguān zérèn rén yīfǎ wènzé. The government announced that relevant responsible persons for this accident will be held accountable according to law.
建立有效的问责机制是推进廉洁政府的关键。 Jiànlì yǒuxiào de wènzé jīzhì shì tuījìn liánjié zhèngfǔ de guānjiàn. Establishing an effective accountability mechanism is key to promoting clean government.
监管机构对不合规的企业进行了严格的问责。 Jiāngǎn jīgòu duì bù héguī de qǐyè jìnxíngle yángé de wènzé. The regulatory authority held non-compliant enterprises strictly accountable.
公众要求对这起食品安全事件展开彻查并进行问责。 Gōngzhòng yāoqiú duì zhè qǐ shípǐn ānquán shìjiàn zhǎnkāi chèchá bìng jìnxíng wènzé. The public demanded a thorough investigation and accountability for this food safety incident.
缺乏问责是导致官僚机构效率低下的重要原因。 Quēfá wènzé shì dǎozhì guānliáo jīgòu xiàolǜ dīxià de zhòngyào yuányīn. Lack of accountability is an important reason for the low efficiency of bureaucratic institutions.
这家公司的董事会被要求就其决策对股东进行问责。 Zhè jiā gōngsī de dǒngshìhuì bèi yāoqiú jiù qí juécè duì gǔdōng jìnxíng wènzé. The company's board of directors was required to be accountable to shareholders for its decisions.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 问责机制 (wènzé jīzhì) | accountability mechanism |
| 依法问责 (yīfǎ wènzé) | hold accountable according to law |
| 问责制度 (wènzé zhìdù) | accountability system |
| 追责问责 (zhuī zé wènzé) | pursue and hold accountable |
| 严格问责 (yángé wènzé) | strictly hold accountable |
| 接受问责 (jiēshòu wènzé) | accept accountability |
Usage Notes
问责 is a formal term used predominantly in administrative, legal, and news contexts. It is closely related to 责任 (zérèn, responsibility) and together with 问责制 forms the core of accountability discourse in Chinese governance. The action is typically directed downward in a hierarchy (superiors calling subordinates to account) or by the public/media toward officials.
Compare with 追责 (zhuīzé), which emphasises the pursuit and punishment of those responsible after the fact, while 问责 focuses more on the mechanism and process of demanding an explanation or consequences.
Memory Hook
问 (to question/ask) + 责 (responsibility/duty) = to question someone about their responsibility.