shè
verb HSK 7-9 #3,412

Meanings

  1. 1 to set up; to establish
  2. 2 to design; to plan
  3. 3 if; suppose

Examples

Zhège shèjì hěn hǎo.
This design is very good.
Xuéxiào shè le yígè xīn de kèchéng.
The school set up a new course.
Shèshī hěn wánshàn.
The facilities are well-equipped.

Tips

usage
is used in: 设计 (design), 设备 (equipment), 设施 (facilities), 设置 (set up/configure), 建设 (construct), 假设 (suppose/hypothesis).

Components

radical
yán
speech (radical form)
Left speech radical — the indexing component. The original sense of was 'to give an order, to establish by command' — speech that institutes something. From spoken decree the meaning extended to plan, design, arrange. Same radical anchors (say), (discuss), (count/plan).
semantic
shū
lance; staff
Right — a hand wielding a staff or weapon. Combined with the speech radical: words backed by force, an authoritative decree that establishes something firmly. The full compound means 'to set up under formal authority' — hence 设立, 设计, 设法.

Stroke Order

shè