HSK 6 · Verbs

想方设法 xiǎngfāngshèfǎ “to try every possible way” in Chinese

Traditional 想方設法

What 想方设法 means

  1. to try every possible way
  2. to think up every possible method (idiom)
  3. to devise ways and means
  4. to try this, that and the other

How to say 想方设法

  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale想xiǎng3rd tone, dipping
  • Pitch chart of the first tone: stays high and level, 5 to 5 on the five-level scale方fāng1st tone, high and level
  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale设shè4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale法fǎ3rd tone, dipping

想方设法 in a sentence

  1. 她想方设法以一己之力完成了工作。

    Tā xiǎngfāngshèfǎ yǐ yìjǐ zhī lì wánchéng le gōngzuò.

    She found a way to finish the work all by herself.

    Sentence #1394846 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 想方设法 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 想 (xiǎng) with each of its parts in a different colour
想xiǎngto think
  • 相mutual · xiāngSound part
  • 心heart · xīnMeaning part

心 hints at the meaning (heart); 相 (xiāng) hints at the sound. Compare it with xiǎng.

Memory aid相 means to look at closely. Add the heart 心 and you picture something in your mind: to think.

The character 方 (fāng) drawn as one shape
方fāngsquare

方 is a single shape of 4 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.

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.

The character 法 (fǎ) with each of its parts in a different colour
法fǎlaw
  • 氵water form of 水 · shuǐ
  • 去to go away · qù

Memory aidTraditionally explained as water 氵, which always lies level and so is fair, with 去 (qù) “to remove”, driving the guilty away: law, method.

How to write 想方设法

想 13 strokes · 方 4 strokes · 设 6 strokes · 法 8 strokes

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

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

Words related to 想方设法

Words with 想

想xiǎng · to want想到xiǎngdào · to think of理想lǐxiǎng · an ideal感想gǎnxiǎng · impressions幻想huànxiǎng · to fantasise思想sīxiǎng · thought想念xiǎngniàn · to miss想象xiǎngxiàng · to imagine梦想mèngxiǎng · dream空想kōngxiǎng · fantasy

Words with 方

北方běifāng · north地方dìfang · place方便fāngbiàn · convenient南方nánfāng · the south西方xīfāng · the West东方dōngfāng · the East方便面fāngbiànmiàn · instant noodles方法fāngfǎ · method方面fāngmiàn · respect方向fāngxiàng · direction

Words with 设

建设jiànshè · to build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

Words with 法

办法bànfǎ · method法fǎ · law看法kànfǎ · way of looking at a thing语法yǔfǎ · grammar法律fǎlǜ · law方法fāngfǎ · method无法wúfǎ · to be unable to合法héfǎ · lawful法院fǎyuàn · court of law法人fǎrén · legal entity

More words: Thinking & Talking

慰问wèiwèn · to express sympathy误解wùjiě · to misunderstand污蔑wūmiè · to slander侮辱wǔrǔ · to insult响应xiǎngyìng · to respond to闲话xiánhuà · gossip谢绝xièjué · to politely decline泄露xièlòu · to leak

FAQs

想方设法 (xiǎngfāngshèfǎ) means “to try every possible way” or “to think up every possible method (idiom)”. It is an HSK 6 word.
Say it xiǎngfāngshèfǎ: xiǎng with a 3rd tone, then fāng with a 1st tone, then shè with a 4th tone, then fǎ with a 3rd 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, 想方设法 is written 想方設法. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type xiangfangshefa with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 想方设法 from the suggestions. Typing xiangfangshefa into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
想方设法 is an HSK 6 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.