What it means
مسئولیت (mas’uliyyat) means responsibility, accountability, or the obligation to answer for one’s actions. The word is borrowed from Arabic, where it derives from the root س-ء-ل (s-‘-l), which carries the core sense of asking or being questioned. The Arabic form مسئول (mas’ul) means the one who is held answerable, and مسئولیت is the abstract noun built from it. Persian borrowed both forms: مسئول (mas’ul) is now also used in Persian as a noun or adjective meaning a responsible official or the person in charge. A useful contrast: وظیفه (vazife, also Arabic in origin) means duty or task, while مسئولیت stresses the accountability that comes with that duty.
How to use it
- این مسئولیت با منه. (in mas’uliyyat bâ mane) “This responsibility is mine.”
- مسئولیت کارت رو قبول کن. (mas’uliyyat-e kârat ro qabul kon) “Accept responsibility for your work.”
- اون مسئول این بخشه. (un mas’ul-e in bakhshe) “He is the person in charge of this section.”
- مسئولیت سنگینیه. (mas’uliyyat sanginiye) “Responsibility is a heavy thing.”
Cultural note
مسئولیت is one of the most frequently heard abstract nouns in Iranian public discourse, appearing in government communications, educational settings, and family conversations about growing up. The phrase مسئول بودن (mas’ul budan, to be responsible) is used both for personal ethics and for institutional accountability, making it central to how Iranians discuss authority and obligation. The simpler colloquial phrase پاسخگو بودن (pâsokh-gu budan, to be answerable) overlaps in meaning but مسئولیت carries more formal weight.