爲 (wèi) - To do & to act

爲Tone 4

wèi ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

爲 · wèi

To do;

to act;

to serve as;

to be;

for;

because of;

on behalf of.

(Note: In modern usage, 为 is preferred, but 爲 is the traditional form.

)

To doto actto serve as

Usage highlights

For the sake ofBecauseBecomeAct asFor what reasonOn behalf of

Synonyms

  • 做— to do, to make
  • 當— to serve as, to act as
  • 爲了— for the purpose of

Antonyms

  • 不爲— not to do, to refrain from acting
  • 無爲— non-action, doing nothing

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He works for the company (爲公司工作).
  • This is for you (這是爲你).
  • Why are you doing this?(你爲什麼這樣做？)
  • She became a teacher (她成爲了一名教師).

Collocations

  • For the sake of(爲了)
  • Because(因爲)
  • Become(成爲)
  • Act as(作爲)
  • For what reason(爲何)
  • On behalf of(代表)

Idioms

  • Do everything possible(無所不爲)
  • Act recklessly(胡作非爲)
  • Young people will surpass the old(後生可爲)
  • Turn danger into safety(化險爲夷)
  • Take the initiative(先發制人爲上)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a hand guiding an elephant, representing the concept of 'doing' or 'making'.
  • Used extensively in classical Chinese philosophy to denote purpose, causation, and agency.
  • The character appears in many compound words expressing relationships and transformations.

FAQ