HSK 5 · Verbs

建设 jiànshè “to build” in Chinese

Traditional 建設

What 建设 means

  1. to build
  2. to construct
  3. to establish
  4. to develop
  5. to institute

How to say 建设

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale建jiàn4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale设shè4th tone, falling

建设 in a sentence

  1. 批评的目的是建设而不是破坏。

    Pīpíng de mùdì shì jiànshè ér bú shì pòhuài.

    The purpose of criticism is to build, not to destroy.

    Sentence #13949298 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 一座新的教学楼正在建设。

    Yí zuò xīn de jiàoxuélóu zhèngzài jiànshè.

    A new school building is under construction.

    Sentence #10260791 from Tatoeba

  3. 这里正在筹划建设一座发电站。

    Zhèlǐ zhèngzài chóuhuà jiànshè yí zuò fādiànzhàn.

    Plans are under way to build a power station here.

    Sentence #12568787 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 建设 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 建 (jiàn) with each of its parts in a different colour
建jiànto establish
  • 聿brush · yùSound part
  • 廴stride · yǐnMeaning part

廴 hints at the meaning (stride); 聿 (yù) hints at the sound. Compare it with jiàn.

The character 设 (shè) with each of its parts in a different colour
设shèto set up; to put in place
  • 讠speech form of 言 · yánMeaning part
  • 殳weapon · shūSound part

讠 hints at the meaning (speech); 殳 (shū) hints at the sound. Compare it with shè.

How to write 建设

建 8 strokes · 设 6 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

建设 (jiànshè) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 建设 (jiànshè). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 建设

Words with 建

建议jiànyì · to propose建筑jiànzhù · to construct建立jiànlì · to establish修建xiūjiàn · to build封建fēngjiàn · feudal

Words with 设

设计shèjì · to design设备shèbèi · equipment设施shèshī · facilities假设jiǎshè · to suppose设想shèxiǎng · to imagine设立shèlì · to set up设置shèzhì · to set up想方设法xiǎngfāngshèfǎ · to try every possible way

More words: Common Verbs

计算jìsuàn · to count记录jìlù · to record捡jiǎn · to pick up建立jiànlì · to establish讲究jiǎngjiu · to be particular about交换jiāohuàn · to exchange交际jiāojì · social interaction浇jiāo · to water (plants)

FAQs

建设 (jiànshè) means “to build” or “to construct”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it jiànshè: jiàn with a 4th tone, then shè with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 建设 is written 建設. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type jianshe with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 建设 from the suggestions. Typing jianshe into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
建设 is an HSK 5 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.