设法
shèfǎ · HSK 7
try
🛠️ 设法 = 设 set up/devise + 法 method = think up a method to get it done
设 means to set up or devise; 法 means method or way. Together they mean to work out a method, to contrive or try by some means. Think of it as devising the method when there is no obvious path.
设 — speech 讠 + hand holding tool 殳
设 combines 讠 (speech) with 殳 (a hand wielding a tool or weapon), suggesting giving orders to set something up. The original sense was to arrange or establish through command, which extended to today's meanings of 'set up,' 'design,' or 'suppose.'
法 — water 氵 + go 去
Originally written 灋, combining the water radical 氵 (suggesting a level standard, like water finding its level), the mythical beast 廌 (which judged guilt), and 去 (to remove or banish). The 廌 was later dropped, leaving 法. The core meaning evolved from 'law' or 'standard' to also include 'method' and 'way of doing'.