建 jiàn — to establish; to found; to set up; to build; to construct
工人们正在建一座新桥。Gōng rén men zhèng zài jiàn yí zuò xīn qiáo.The workers are building a new bridge.
Common words: 建议 (jiàn yì)、建立 (jiàn lì)、建设 (jiàn shè)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to found"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to found", including 建 (jiàn), 设 (shè). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to found" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 建 (jiàn), 设 (shè) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jiàn, shè — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 建 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 建 jiànto establish; to found; to set up; to build; to constructUseful words: 建议, 建立
- 设 shèto set up; to arrange; to establish; to found; to displayUseful words: 设计, 设备
Common words for these 2 "to found" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 建 (jiàn) — so "to found" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to found".
设 shè — to set up; to arrange; to establish; to found; to display
学校设有一个图书馆。Xué xiào shè yǒu yí ge tú shū guǎn.The school has a library.
Common words: 设计 (shè jì)、设备 (shè bèi)、建设 (jiàn shè)
All 2 characters
Open 建、设 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.