匹夫有责

匹夫有責
pǐfū-yǒuzé
idiom #78,058

Meanings

  1. 1 every ordinary person bears a share of responsibility
  2. 2 everyone has a duty

Examples

Guójiā xīng wáng, pǐfū-yǒuzé.
The rise and fall of the nation is every citizen's responsibility.
Huánjìng bǎohù, pǐfū-yǒuzé, bùnéng zhǐ kào zhèngfǔ.
Environmental protection is everyone's responsibility - it can't be left to the government alone.
Miànduì zhèzhǒng bùgōng, pǐfū-yǒuzé, bùnéng shì'érbùjiàn.
Faced with such injustice, every ordinary person has a duty - we can't just look away.

Tips

history
From Ming-Qing scholar Gu Yanwu's 《日知录·正始》: 'the preservation of all-under-heaven - even the humblest commoner bears a share of responsibility (保天下者,匹夫之贱,与有责焉耳矣).' Usually quoted as the set phrase 天下兴亡,匹夫有责.
usage
Almost always appears in the pattern [X],匹夫有责 - the first clause naming the cause (国家兴亡, 环保, 抗震救灾) that everyone shares responsibility for.

Stroke Order

yǒu