役目|やくめyakume[3]odaka (tail-high)

1. nounduty; role; function
   古ふるい木箱きばこがテーブルの役目やくめをした。↗

   An old wooden box served as table.

• Synonym役割やくわりNeutralThe role or share assigned to someone, as in 「役割を果たす」. More neutral and written in tone than 「役目」, leaning toward the sharing out of functions.
• Synonym役やくNeutralA post, duties, or a part in a play, as in 「役に立つ」 and 「主役」; the widest-ranging word of the set.
• Synonym役回りやくまわりNeutralThe role that falls to your lot, as in 「損な役回り」 or 「嫌な役回り」.
• Synonym役柄やくがらNeutralThe type of role or standing one takes on, as in 「役柄を演じる」; leans toward drama and one's position.
• Synonym勤めつとめNeutralDuties one is bound to perform, as in 「親の務め」; also means working at a job. 「役目」 is the more colloquial of the two.
• Synonym責務せきむWrittenA written word for duties and obligations, as in 「責務を果たす」; more formal than 「役目」.
• Synonym任にんWrittenA written word for a duty or burden one carries, as in 「任に当たる」 and 「任が重い」; solemn in tone.
• Synonymお役目おやくめFormalA formal, respectful version of 「役目」, mostly for public duties, as in 「お役目ご苦労様」.
• Related職務しょくむWrittenA written word for the duties of one's post, as in 「職務を遂行する」; leans toward official work.
• Related任務にんむNeutralA task assigned to you, as in 「任務を果たす」; leans toward missions and military or official work.
• Related仕事しごとNeutralThe most common word of all, for work or a job; its range is broad and it does not stress duties you are obliged to fulfill.
• Related業務ぎょうむNeutralA company's routine business operations, as in 「業務内容」; leans toward organizational work and does not refer to a personal role.
• Related義務ぎむNeutralA legal or moral obligation, as in 「納税の義務」; stresses what rules require you to fulfill.
• Related責任せきにんNeutralResponsibility for the consequences, as in 「責任を取る」; the focus is accountability, while 「役目」 focuses on the things to be done.
• Related職分しょくぶんWrittenA written word for one's proper duty or calling; little used in modern Japanese.
• Relatedお勤めおつとめFormalA polite term for holding a job or going to work, and also for reciting sutras; it overlaps with 「役目」 only in the work sense.

Use 「役目」 in everyday speech for a duty or role you are expected to fulfill, as in 「役目を果たす」. For the division of roles say 「役割」, for an assigned task 「任務」, for the duties of your post 「職務」, and for bearing the consequences 「責任」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 受け持うけもって、つとめなければならない役やくや仕事しごと。役割やくわりより口語こうご的てき。なすべき務つとめに伴ともなう立場たちばを含ふくめて表現ひょうげんする事ことがある。