任
rèn · HSK 3
appoint to a position
💼 亻(person) + 壬 (burden/load on shoulders) = a person bearing a duty
任 combines the person radical 亻 with 壬, which depicts a load carried on the shoulders. Together they mean to bear responsibility — hence to appoint someone to a post or assign them a duty.
任 — person radical 亻 + 壬 (phonetic)
任 combines the person radical 亻 with 壬, which supplies the sound. The original sense centered on a person bearing a load or burden, which extended naturally to 'carrying responsibility,' 'duty,' and 'to appoint someone to a post.' Modern uses like 任务 (task) and 责任 (responsibility) preserve this core idea.