The character 设 — “set up”: how to write it and what it means

设
shè

set up; establish

6 strokes · HSK 5

The Chinese character 设 is read shè and means “set up; establish”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 设

设 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.

To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 设, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 设 is made of

On the left, 讠 “speech”. The right part is the same as in 没 méi and 投.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 设

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 设?

设 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.

What does 设 mean?

设 means “set up; establish”. It appears in 设施 (“facilities”), 建设 (“build”), 设备 (“device”), 设置 (“set up”).

How do you pronounce 设?

设 is read shè. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 设 have?

6 strokes.

← 漏 leak施 carry out →

More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.

Write 设 yourself

In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.

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