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设备 (shè bèi) — equipment; facilities; installations

Definition

设备 (shèbèi) is a general noun for 'equipment / facilities' — a complete setup for a workplace or system, broader than the device-specific 装置 and more concrete than 设施.

noun
equipmentfacilitiesinstallations
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 设备。
    Yī yuàn yǐn jìn le hěn duō xīn shè bèi.
    The hospital introduced a lot of new equipment.
  • 设备。
    Zhè tào shè bèi cāo zuò qǐ lái hěn jiǎn dān.
    This set of equipment is very simple to operate.
  • 设备。
    Shí yàn shì de shè bèi xū yào dìng qī wéi hù.
    The laboratory equipment needs regular maintenance.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

设shèset up
备bèiequip

设 means set up, and 备 means equip or prepare, so the sense covers installed and prepared things.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 設; 设 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì設shè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 設 uses 言 (speech) to show the meaning and 埶 to give the sound; this explanation is for 設, not the simplified 设.

Open 设 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 備; 备 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 備 shows a person carrying a quiver, matching the meaning 'ready; prepared'; the simplified 备 is a later abbreviation.

Open 备 →
Appears in
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