为
for; for the sake of
wèi
What does 为 mean?
为 (wèi) is a preposition meaning 'for / for the sake of / on behalf of' — marking the beneficiary or motivation behind an action. The typical pattern is '为 + person/thing + verb phrase' (为你高兴 'happy for you,' 为人民服务 'serve the people'). The character has TWO common pronunciations and you must learn both: wèi (fourth tone) is this 'for' meaning; wéi (second tone) is the separate verb 'to do / to be / to serve as' seen in 认为 ('to think / consider'), 以为 ('to assume'), 因为 ('because').
Don't confuse 为 with 给 (gěi). 给 marks the receiver of an action (我给你打电话 'I'll call you'); 为 marks the cause or beneficiary in a more abstract sense
Character breakdown
for; for the sake of (wèi); to do / be (wéi)
Memory hook: Two readings: WÈI (4th) = for / for the sake of; WÉI (2nd) = to do / serve as. Same character, separate words.
Example sentences
我为你感到骄傲。
Wǒ wèi nǐ gǎndào jiāo'ào.
I'm proud of you.
neutral
他为这件事很担心。
Tā wèi zhè jiàn shì hěn dānxīn.
He's very worried about this matter.
neutral
为什么你不来？
Wèi shénme nǐ bù lái?
Why aren't you coming?
spoken
我们要为人民服务。
Wǒmen yào wèi rénmín fúwù.
We must serve the people.
formal
Common phrases with 为
Synonyms
给 marks the direct recipient of a concrete action (我给你买礼物 'I'll buy you a gift'). 为 marks beneficiary or cause in a more abstract / written sense (我为你高兴 'I'm happy for you'). Beginner mix-up.
替 means 'on behalf of / instead of' — emphasizing substitution (我替你去 'I'll go in your place'). 为 emphasizes beneficiary; 替 emphasizes replacement.
Don't confuse 为 with
为了 means 'in order to / for the purpose of' — marks the GOAL of an action (为了健康，我每天跑步 'I run every day to stay healthy'). 为 alone marks beneficiary. They overlap but 为了 is goal-oriented, 为 is recipient-oriented.
Same pinyin wèi but 未 means 'not yet' — different character entirely. 未来 'future,' 未完 'unfinished.' Don't substitute.
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 为 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
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