假设

• Pinyin: jiǎ shè
• Hanzi breakdown: 假 = 亻 + 叚 (person + borrow — temporary supposition); 设 = 讠+ 殳 (speech + weapon — setting up/establishing an argument or structure)

Meaning

(Verb) To suppose; to assume; to hypothesise. (Noun) A hypothesis; an assumption; a supposition. Used in academic, scientific, and everyday reasoning contexts.

The fundamental building block of scientific inquiry and logical argument. In research, 假设 is the hypothesis to be tested. In everyday language, it introduces conditional or speculative scenarios. Distinguished from 假定 in that 假设 typically involves something that needs verification.

Examples

1. 科学研究的第一步往往是提出一个合理的假设，并设计相应的实验加以验证。 The first step in scientific research is often to propose a reasonable hypothesis and design experiments to test it.
2. 假设你明天早晨醒来发现自己拥有了读心术，你会怎么做？ Suppose you wake up tomorrow morning and discover you can read minds—what would you do?
3. 他在论文中提出了一个大胆的假设，认为该地区的气候变化与海洋洋流的周期性波动密切相关。 In his paper, he proposed a bold hypothesis that climate change in the region is closely tied to cyclical fluctuations in ocean currents.

Usage Guide

Context: academia, science, logic, daily life

Tone: analytical

Do Say

• 在撰写学术论文时，研究者需要清晰地阐述研究假设的理论依据，并说明所选用的研究方法如何能够对假设进行有效的检验与证伪。(When writing academic papers, researchers need to clearly articulate the theoretical basis for their research hypothesis and explain how the chosen research methods can effectively test and falsify the hypothesis.)
• 假设这个经济模型的核心参数未来十年保持稳定，政策建议就较可信；一旦环境剧变，结论都要重估。(If we assume this economic model's core parameters stay stable over the next ten years, the policy advice will be fairly reliable; once the environment changes sharply, all conclusions must be reassessed.)

Don't Say

• 假设 vs 假定 — 假设 implies a testable hypothesis or speculative scenario; 假定 treats the premise as given for the sake of argument without needing verification. In scientific writing, use 假设 for your testable claim; use 假定 for background premises you take as granted

Origin & History

假 (to borrow; to suppose; temporary) + 设 (to set up; to establish; to suppose)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal