‘责备’ is a formal, transitive verb meaning ‘to blame’ or ‘to scold’ — typically for wrongdoing, failure, or inappropriate behavior. It carries a tone of moral disapproval or disappointment, often implying the speaker holds authority or emotional closeness (e.g., parent to child, teacher to student, or partner to partner). The character 责 (zé) means ‘duty,’ ‘blame,’ or ‘to hold responsible,’ while 备 (bèi) here functions as a grammatical suffix that intensifies the verb’s sense of reprimand — not its more common meaning of ‘prepare.’ Together, they convey the act of holding someone accountable in a corrective, often stern way.

This word is commonly used in written Chinese and formal spoken contexts; it’s less frequent in casual daily talk, where words like ‘骂 (mà, to curse)’ or ‘说 (shuō, to tell off)’ may sound more natural. It implies an expectation was violated, and the blame is justified — not merely emotional venting. It’s often followed by a clause introduced by ‘因为’ (because) or a direct object (e.g., ‘责备他迟到’ — ‘blamed him for being late’).