设 meaning and stroke order
To set up; to put in place; (math.) given; suppose; if
How to write 设, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 3
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- 6
Meaning of 设
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to set up; to put in place
- (math.) given; suppose; if
How 设 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 殳 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 设
设 combines 讠 (speech) on the left with 殳 on the right, which gives the sound. Picture someone using words to lay out a plan before anything is set up: you speak the design first, then you build it.
设 rarely stands alone in everyday speech and mostly appears in words like 设计 (shèjì, to design), 设备 (shèbèi, equipment) and 建设 (jiànshè, to build). In math and formal writing it means "suppose" or "let", as in 设x等于5 (shè x děngyú wǔ, let x equal 5). Example: 她是一名服装设计师。(Tā shì yì míng fúzhuāng shèjìshī.) She is a fashion designer.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 设 with 没 (méi). The two share the same right side 殳, but 没 has the water radical 氵 instead of the speech radical 讠. Also keep the fourth tone in shè, and do not read it as shě like 舍.
Common words with 设
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 设计 | shèjì | to design; to plan; design; plan | HSK 3 |
| 设备 | shèbèi | equipment; facilities; installations | HSK 3 |
| 建设 | jiànshè | to build; to construct; to establish; to develop; to institute | HSK 3 |
| 设立 | shèlì | to set up; to establish | HSK 3 |
| 设置 | shèzhì | to set up; to install | HSK 4 |
| 设施 | shèshī | facilities; installation | HSK 4 |
| 设想 | shèxiǎng | to imagine; to assume | HSK 5 |
| 设计师 | shèjìshī | designer; architect | HSK 6 |
| 开设 | kāishè | to offer (goods or services); to open (for business etc) | HSK 6 |
| 假设 | jiǎshè | to suppose; to presume | HSK 7-9 |
| 设法 | shèfǎ | to try; to make an attempt | HSK 7-9 |
| 设定 | shèdìng | to set (a goal, rule, limit, parameter etc); to specify; (computing) settings | HSK 7-9 |
| 想方设法 | xiǎngfāng-shèfǎ | to think up every possible method (idiom); to devise ways and means; to try this, that and | HSK 7-9 |
| 摆设 | bǎishe | to set out; to display | HSK 7-9 |
设 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 设
How many strokes are in 设?
设 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 设 mean?
设 (shè) means to set up; to put in place; (math.) given; suppose; if. A common word with it is 设计 (shèjì), meaning "to design; to plan; design; plan".
How do you pronounce 设?
设 is pronounced shè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 设?
The radical of 设 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 设 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 设?
The traditional form of 设 is 設. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 设 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 设 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 设 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 设立 and 设置?
设立 (shèlì) means to establish an organization or institution, such as a fund or an office. 设置 (shèzhì) means to set up or install something, like settings on a phone or obstacles on a course.
How do you say "settings" on a phone or computer in Chinese?
Use 设置 (shèzhì). For example, 打开设置 (dǎkāi shèzhì) means "open settings".