Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ fùzé jīntiān de wǎnfàn.

It does not say specifically how you will handle it (cook, order, pay, plan, etc.); it just says the responsibility is yours. Context would clarify what exactly you’re doing.

Why isn’t there a 是 (shì) in this sentence? Why not say 我是负责今天的晚饭?

In 我负责今天的晚饭, 负责 itself is the main verb, just like 吃 (to eat) or 做 (to do/make). The basic structure is:

我（subject） + 负责（verb） + 今天的晚饭（object）

Adding 是 before 负责 to say 我是负责今天的晚饭 is generally wrong in standard Mandarin, because you’d be putting two main verbs together (是 and 负责) without the right structure.

You might see 是…负责的 in a different pattern, e.g.:

今天的晚饭是我负责的。
Today’s dinner is (the one that) I’m in charge of.

Here 是…的 is a special structure that emphasizes or highlights who is responsible.

What is 的 (de) doing between 今天 and 晚饭? Why 今天的晚饭?

Here 的 is linking an attributive (a modifier) to a noun.

今天 = today
晚饭 = dinner
今天的晚饭 = today’s dinner

So 今天的 functions like today’s, and 的 is the marker that turns 今天 into a modifier of 晚饭.

Is there any difference between 今天的晚饭 and 今天晚饭?

Yes, there’s a subtle difference in feel and common use:

今天的晚饭
- Literally today’s dinner.
- Treats 晚饭 as a thing/event that belongs to today.
- Very natural when you are talking about the meal itself as an item: planning it, preparing it, being responsible for it, etc.
- Example: 我负责今天的晚饭。 – I’m in charge of today’s dinner.
今天晚饭
- Often understood more as a time phrase: (at) dinner time today.
- Common when talking about what will happen then.
- Example: 今天晚饭我不在家吃。 – I won’t eat at home at dinner time today.

You can say 我负责今天晚饭, and it will usually be understood, but 今天的晚饭 sounds more natural when talking about the event/meal as a task you’re responsible for.

Could the word order be different? For example: 我今天负责晚饭 or 今天的晚饭，我负责. Are these okay?

All of these are grammatical, with small differences in emphasis:

我负责今天的晚饭。
Neutral; slight focus on me doing the job.
我今天负责晚饭。
Adds more emphasis to today:
- I (specifically today) am in charge of dinner.
- Implies it might be different on other days.
今天我负责晚饭。
Similar to 2, also highlighting today; but the sentence starts with the time, which is very common in Chinese.
今天的晚饭，我负责。
Fronts 今天的晚饭 as a topic:
- As for today’s dinner, I’m in charge.
- Sounds a bit more declarative/emphatic, like assigning tasks.

All are natural in the right context.

Why is there no measure word before 晚饭? Should it be something like 一顿晚饭?

You only need a measure word when you want to count the noun. Here, you’re just referring to today’s dinner as a specific, unique event, not counting how many dinners.

今天的晚饭 – today’s dinner (no counting, so no measure word)
一顿晚饭 – one dinner / a dinner (here you’re counting, so you use 顿)

If you said 我负责今天这一顿晚饭, that would be grammatical but more wordy and marked; usually 今天的晚饭 is enough.

How do we know if this means present or future? Could 我负责今天的晚饭 also mean I was in charge of dinner today?

Chinese does not mark tense the same way English does. Instead, it relies on:

Time words (like 今天)
Context
Sometimes aspect particles (like 了, 过) or auxiliaries (会, 要…)

In isolation, 我负责今天的晚饭 is most naturally understood as present/future:

I’m in charge of dinner today / I’ll take care of dinner today.

To clearly make it past, you’d usually add context or aspect:

今天的晚饭是我负责的。 – Today’s dinner was my responsibility.
今天的晚饭我负责了。 – I (did) take charge of today’s dinner. (Usually context needed.)

Can 负责 be used without an object, like just 我负责?

Yes, in the right context. If it’s already clear what you’re responsible for, you can omit the object:

A: 谁来做晚饭？ – Who will make dinner?
B: 我负责。 – I’ll take care of it / I’ll be in charge.

But if the context isn’t clear, you normally must say what you’re responsible for, as in 我负责今天的晚饭.

Sometimes I see 负责的 instead of 负责. What’s the difference?

负责 (verb): to be responsible for / to be in charge of
- 我负责今天的晚饭。 – I’m in charge of today’s dinner.
负责的 (adjective): responsible (as a character trait)
- 他是一个很负责的人。 – He is a very responsible person.

So 负责 in your sentence is a verb, not an adjective.

If I want to emphasize that I’m actually cooking, not just organizing or paying, how can I change the sentence?

You can add a verb like 做 (zuò, to make/do) or 做饭 (zuòfàn, to cook):

我负责做今天的晚饭。 – I’m responsible for cooking today’s dinner.
今天的晚饭我来做。 – I’ll cook today’s dinner.
今天的晚饭我负责做。 – Today’s dinner, I’m the one responsible for cooking it.

我负责今天的晚饭 is broader; it might include cooking, buying ingredients, planning, paying, etc., but doesn’t specify which.

Does 我负责今天的晚饭 imply I am paying for the dinner?

Not necessarily. 负责 is about responsibility / being in charge, not specifically about paying.

If you want to say you’re treating/paying, you’d normally use 请:
- 今天晚饭我请。 – I’ll treat for dinner today / It’s my treat.

我负责今天的晚饭 could mean you’re cooking, arranging, organizing, or overall in charge. Whether that includes paying depends on context.

Is 负责 formal? Would people actually say this in everyday life?

负责 is very common in work and formal contexts:

他负责这个项目。 – He is in charge of this project.
我负责客户服务。 – I’m responsible for customer service.

But it can also be used in daily life, especially when distributing tasks:

你负责买菜，我负责今天的晚饭。 – You’re in charge of buying groceries; I’m in charge of today’s dinner.

If you want something more casual for daily life, you might hear:

今天的晚饭我来。 – I’ll handle dinner today.
今天晚饭我做。 – I’ll cook dinner today.

Can I say 今天的晚饭由我负责 instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, 今天的晚饭由我负责 is grammatical and natural.

我负责今天的晚饭。
Subject-first; neutral statement: I am in charge of today’s dinner.
今天的晚饭由我负责。
Uses 由 to indicate “by” (as in “by me”):
Literally “Today’s dinner is by me in charge.”
It sounds a bit more formal and slightly more passive-like, focusing on the dinner as the main topic.

In everyday conversation, 我负责今天的晚饭 is slightly more neutral; 今天的晚饭由我负责 might feel a bit more official or planned.

Could I say 我负责今天晚上的饭 instead of 我负责今天的晚饭?

Yes, that’s also natural, with a small nuance change:

我负责今天的晚饭。
Specifically today’s dinner as a meal.
我负责今天晚上的饭。
Literally the food/meal tonight.
This can feel a bit broader: not just the formal “dinner” as a meal name, but whatever we eat tonight.

Both can mean almost the same thing in many contexts. 今天的晚饭 sounds a bit more standard and textbook-like; 今天晚上的饭 slightly more colloquial.