Word Detail

The Japanese word 建設 (ken-setsu) primarily means "construction," "building," or "establishment." It refers to the act or process of creating something, often something physical like a building or infrastructure, but it can also be used metaphorically to describe the building or development of something abstract, like a plan or an organization. The word encompasses the entire process from planning and design to the actual physical creation and subsequent completion of a project. It can also imply the active act of creating or establishing something new. The meaning encompasses activities like building, creating, establishing, or developing.

⚫︎新しいビルを建設しています。 Translation: They are constructing a new building. ⚫︎ 政府は新しい高速道路の建設を決定しました。 Translation: The government decided to build a new highway. ⚫︎ 彼は会社のために新しいビジネスモデルの建設を提案しました。 Translation: He proposed the establishment of a new business model for the company.

This word is a versatile noun and can be used in various contexts. It's common in formal and informal situations when discussing building projects, urban planning, organizational structures, or the creation/development of anything new. It can be used in business meetings, news reports, everyday conversations, and academic discussions. It’s generally a formal word but can be used in casual settings too. You can use the verb form, for instance, 建設する (ken-setsu suru - to construct/build) or the noun form 建設.

建設 is primarily written using the kanji 建設. The reading is けんせつ (ken-setsu) in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is not typically written separately, as the kanji already includes the meaning. The verb form is 建設する which adds the hiragana する (suru) to the kanji.

⚫︎ 建築 (kenchiku) - architecture, building ⚫︎ 造成 (zousei) - construction, development (often related to land) ⚫︎ 設立 (setsuritsu) - establishment, founding ⚫︎ 構築 (kouchiku) - construction, building (often abstract)

⚫︎ 破壊 (hakai) - destruction ⚫︎ 解体 (kaitai) - demolition ⚫︎ 崩壊 (houkai) - collapse, disintegration

この都市の建設には、多大な時間と費用がかかりました。 ・Translation: The construction of this city took a great deal of time and expense. ・Explanation: This sentence highlights the effort and resources invested in building the city.

その会社は、新しい工場の建設を計画しています。 ・Translation: That company is planning the construction of a new factory. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates how 建設 is used in the context of business expansion and physical infrastructure.

The word 建設 is a compound word formed from two kanji. 建 (ken) means "to build" or "to construct." 設 (setsu) means "to set up," "to establish," or "to create." Therefore, 建設 literally means "to build and establish," clearly reflecting its meaning. The combination of these two characters creates a strong and direct meaning related to the act of building and establishing something new.