施設, 設備, and 装置: facilities, equipment, and devices
Read the naming focus of 施設, 設備, and 装置 through sports and welfare facilities, factory and park equipment, and temperature-control devices. Compare plans, replacement, and automatic or manual operation.
施設: sports and welfare facilities
施設 is read しせつ. 「この運動施設は、夜十時まで利用できる。」 says this sports facility is open until ten at night. The stated hours belong to the particular facility in the example.
「市は高齢者向けの福祉施設を増やす計画だ。」 says the city plans to increase welfare facilities for older residents. 施設 names the facilities, while 計画だ describes a plan to increase them.
設備: what a place is equipped with
設備, read せつび, can name equipment or facilities. 「工場の古い設備を新しいものに替えた。」 says the factory replaced its old equipment with new machinery. Read both the named equipment and the replacement action.
「この公園には休憩用の設備が整っている。」 says the park has good facilities for resting. The park example shows why 設備 should not be restricted to fixed machinery. Its meanings overlap with the language of facilities.
装置: the device described by its operation
装置, read そうち, can name a device or equipment. 「温度を自動で調整する装置を取り付けた。」 says a device that automatically controls the temperature was installed. 自動で調整する describes the device.
「非常時にはこの装置を手動で動かす。」 is a nonpast statement in Japanese. The English translation says, “In an emergency, operate this device manually.” It uses an imperative rather than reporting completed operation. These examples do not establish fixed sizes or a containment hierarchy for the three names.
Do the sports 施設, park 設備, and temperature-control 装置 establish a fixed order of size or containment?
Show the answer and why
No. The examples emphasize a facility, what a place is equipped with, and a device described by its operation. Their meanings overlap: 設備 can mean facilities, and 装置 can mean equipment. Read each name with its own plan, replacement, or operation expression.