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为 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
wéibecause ofHSK 3, unknown, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéias (in the capacity of)HSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéito take sth asHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéito act asHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéito serve asHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéito behave asHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéito becomeHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéito beHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéito doHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéiby (in the passive voice)HSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéias (i.e. in the capacity of)HSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéiforHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéitoHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wéito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to beHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèibecause ofHSK 3, unknown, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèias (in the capacity of)HSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèito take sth asHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèito act asHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèito serve asHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèito behave asHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèito becomeHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèito beHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèito doHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèiby (in the passive voice)HSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèias (i.e. in the capacity of)HSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèiforHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèitoHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to beHSK 3, p, 4 strokes, radical 丶, rank #98, Medium
wèi(wei4)
primary
T4
  1. 1because of
  2. 2as (in the capacity of)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

(為)wèi(wei4)

The character 为 (wéi) primarily means 'to be' or 'to act as,' and it is commonly used to indicate a role or capacity in which someone or something exists. It can also imply causation, as in 'because of' or 'for the sake of,' making it versatile in both formal and informal contexts.

Strokes4RadicalFrequency#98DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of serving or acting in a particular capacity is deeply rooted in social roles and responsibilities, often reflected in Confucian values. 为 reflects the importance of duty and purpose in both personal and societal contexts.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person wearing different hats to represent various roles. Each hat symbolizes a different capacity they serve in, just like 为 shows how someone acts or is perceived. The 'wéi' pronunciation can be remembered by thinking of 'weighing' the importance of each role.

Meanings of 为

wèi(wei4)
primary
1because of
2as (in the capacity of)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 为

Simplified
Traditional
4Strokes
Radical
介词jiècípreposition (prep.)Part of Speech
#98Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 为

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AI Study Notes for 为

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person wearing different hats to represent various roles. Each hat symbolizes a different capacity they serve in, just like 为 shows how someone acts or is perceived. The 'wéi' pronunciation can be remembered by thinking of 'weighing' the importance of each role.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 为 (wéi) with 为 (wèi), which has a different meaning related to 'for' or 'because of.' Ensure to use the correct character based on context. It is often used in both formal and informal settings, so pay attention to the context when using it.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 3 word, 为 connects with other verbs and expressions of state or action, such as 是 (shì) for 'is' or 做 (zuò) for 'to do.' Focus on sentence structures that incorporate 为 to enhance your understanding of roles and agency in Mandarin.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of serving or acting in a particular capacity is deeply rooted in social roles and responsibilities, often reflected in Confucian values. 为 reflects the importance of duty and purpose in both personal and societal contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 为 (wéi) with 是 (shì) when expressing identity. For example, saying '这是我的老师为' instead of '这是我的老师' (This is my teacher) is incorrect; use 是 for identity.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 为

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Etymology of 为

Explanation

Simplified form of 為. Pictograph of a hand guiding an elephant to do work (in ancient China elephants were tamed to do work). Based on the meaning "to work; to do".

Learn more about character formation (六书)
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 为?

Decomposition of 为

IDS Structure⿻丶⿴力丶
Full Character
=
outer
Li4
enclosing
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 为?

Write 为

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 为

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

____大家的健康干杯!

Cheers to everyone's health!

Example Sentences for 为 (13)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
unknownbecause of3
1
我为家庭搬到了这个城市。

Wǒ wèi jiātíng bāndào le zhège chéngshì.

I moved to this city because of my family.
2
他为家庭幸福而努力工作。

Tā wèi jiātíng xìngfú ér nǔlì gōngzuò.

He works hard because of his family's happiness.
3
她为环保事业放弃了高薪工作。

Tā wèi huánbǎo shìyè fàngqìle gāoxīn gōngzuò.

She gave up a high-paying job because of environmental causes.
pas (in the capacity of)10
4
我本人也保证将继续为正义而战。

wǒ běn rén yě bǎo zhèng jiāng jì xù wéi zhèng yì ér zhàn。

I too am committing myself to continue the fight for justice.
5
我真的不明白为什么要改变它。

wǒ zhēn de bù míng bái wéi shí mó yào gǎi biàn tā。

I really don't see any reason for changing it.
6
我觉得他们嘲笑我是因为我长得丑。

wǒ jué dé tā mén cháo xiào wǒ shì yīn wéi wǒ cháng dé chǒu。

I thought they were laughing at me because I was ugly.
7
我真为这种事感到委屈。

wǒ zhēn wéi zhè zhǒng shì gǎn dào wěi qū。

I really feel aggrieved at this sort of thing.
8
我算是朵墙花,因为我特别害羞。

wǒ suàn shì duǒ qiáng huā, , yīn wéi wǒ tè bié hài。

I was something of a wallflower; I was terribly shy.
9
我非常乐意为他们答疑解惑。

wǒ fēi cháng lè yì wéi tā mén dá yí jiě huò。

I'll be only too pleased to help them out with any queries.
10
我认为长期伏案的生活一点也不适合我。

wǒ rèn wéi cháng qī fú àn de shēng huó yī diǎn yě bù shì hé wǒ。

I don't think a sedentary life would altogether suit me.
11
为什么我感觉又被利用了?

wéi shí mó wǒ gǎn jué yòu bèi lì yòng le?

Why do I have the feeling I'm being used again?
12
我为他代写《电讯报》每周的橄榄球专栏。

wǒ wéi tā dài xiě《 《 diàn xùn》 bào 》 měi zhōu de gǎn lǎn qiú。

I ghosted his weekly rugby column for the Telegraph.
13
我认为像慢跑、举重这样的运动不符合自然规律。

wǒ rèn wéi xiàng màn pǎo、 、 jǔ zhòng zhè yàng de yùn dòng bù fú hé zì rán guī。

I consider activities such as jogging and weightlifting as unnatural.

Cultural Notes for 为

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of serving or acting in a particular capacity is deeply rooted in social roles and responsibilities, often reflected in Confucian values. 为 reflects the importance of duty and purpose in both personal and societal contexts.

Word Family of 为

Compounds3
wei3false
Gui1surname
wei2a river in Shanxi province
Words Containing This Character20
wèito act as
因为yīnwèibecause因為
为什么wèishénmewhy?為什麼
认为rènwéito believe認為
为了wèilein order to為了
成为chéngwéito become成為
以为yǐwéito think (i.e. to take it to be true that ...) (Usually there is an implication that the notion is mistaken – except when expressing one's own current opinion.)以為
作为zuòwéideed作為
行为xíngwéiaction行為
为何wèihéwhy為何
为止wéizhǐuntil為止
为主wéizhǔto rely mainly on為主
为此wèicǐfor this reason為此
称为chēngwéicalled稱為
更为even more更為
较为comparatively較為
分为fēnwéito subdivide分為
最为the most最為
极为jíwéiextremely極為
视为shìwéito view as視為
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 伪 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 为

为 (wéi) is used for roles or capacities, while 为 (wèi) indicates causation, as in 'because of.' Context is key.

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