The present disclosure provides a method and device for configuring a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), and a method and device for parsing CSI-RS. The configuration method includes: configuring configuration information of the CSI-RS by a base station; generating a signaling carrying the configuration information of the CSI-RS by the base station; and transmitting the signaling by the base station. The configuration information includes at least one of: a number of CSI-RS ports, a number K of components of a pilot resource pattern, a number N of ports of the components of the pilot resource pattern, and a CSI-RS port-numbering mode, where the CSI-RS port-numbering mode is selected from M candidate port-numbering modes, and M, K, and N are positive integers.