設立

せつりつ

establishment, foundation, institution

JLPT N1

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"設立" (せつりつ) means "establishment" or "foundation," typically referring to the act of founding an organization, company, school, or institution. It is a formal noun and verb (when combined with する) used in business, legal, and official contexts.

Common Contexts

You will often see "設立" used when talking about starting companies, schools, foundations, or other formal entities. It emphasizes the official and legal process of creating something new.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 設立する: to establish or found something.
  • 設立当初: at the time of establishment, often used to describe the early stage of an organization.
  • 設立記念日: anniversary of establishment.

Register and Politeness

"設立" is a formal term, suitable for written language, business documents, news reports, and formal speeches. It is not used in casual conversation.

Common Learner Notes

Learners sometimes confuse "設立" with "創立" (そうりつ), which also means "foundation." While both can mean "establishment," "設立" is more often used for companies and legal entities, whereas "創立" is more common for schools and cultural organizations. Pay attention to the context to choose the correct word.

Example Sentences

あたらしいかいしゃをせつりつするためにひつようなてつづきをおしえてください。

Please tell me the necessary procedures to establish a new company.

このがっこうはひゃくねんまえにせつりつされました。

This school was established 100 years ago.

せつりつとうしょはちいさなじむしょでしたが、いまではだいきぎょうにせいちょうしました。

At the time of establishment, it was a small office, but now it has grown into a large company.