设定

• Pinyin: shè dìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 设 = 讠+ 殳 (to set up); 定 = 宀 + 正 (to fix, settle)

Meaning

To set; to define; to establish parameters or conditions. Used for configuring systems, establishing fictional worlds, or fixing goals.

Widely used in technology (setting values or modes), fiction writing (world-building context), and goal-setting contexts. Implies a deliberate act of defining or configuring something in advance.

Examples

1. 你需要在软件中设定用户权限，防止数据泄露。 You need to set user permissions in the software to prevent data leaks.
2. 这部小说的世界观设定非常独特，吸引了大批读者。 The worldbuilding in this novel is incredibly distinctive, drawing in a huge number of readers.
3. 团队在项目启动时设定了明确的阶段性目标。 When the project launched, the team set clear milestone goals.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, fiction, planning, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请在控制面板中设定所需的温度范围。(Please set the required temperature range in the control panel.)
• 编剧为该剧设定了一个架空的历史背景。(The screenwriter established an alternative historical setting for the drama.)

Don't Say

• 设定一个想法 — 设定 requires a concrete, configurable target; use 提出 or 确立 for abstract ideas

Origin & History

设 (to establish, arrange) + 定 (to fix, determine)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal