‘肩负’ is a verb meaning 'to shoulder (a responsibility)' — literally, to carry something on one’s shoulders. The character 肩 (jiān) means 'shoulder', and 负 (fù) means 'to bear' or 'to carry'. Together, they form a formal, literary compound emphasizing the weight, seriousness, and moral weight of duties or obligations. It is commonly used in contexts involving social roles, professional duties, family responsibilities, or national missions.

This word conveys respect and gravity — you wouldn’t use it for minor tasks like taking out the trash. Instead, it appears in speeches, news reports, official documents, and essays, often with abstract nouns like 'responsibility', 'mission', 'duty', or 'expectations'. It frequently pairs with words like 重任 (heavy responsibility), 使命 (mission), or 期望 (expectations), and usually takes a noun phrase as its object, not a clause.