为主 meaning in English
to rely mainly on; to attach most importance to
Meaning of 为主
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to rely mainly on
- to attach most importance to
How to use 为主
为主 usually comes at the end of a phrase, often in the pattern 以 A 为主, meaning "mainly A" or "A is the focus." It is common in descriptions of diets, jobs, schedules and policies. Example: 我们的早餐以面食为主。(Wǒmen de zǎocān yǐ miànshí wéizhǔ.) Our breakfast is mainly wheat-based food.
为 (wéi) means "to be" or "to act as," and 主 (zhǔ) means "main" or "master." So 为主 is literally "to be the main thing," the part that takes the lead.
Common mistake: Learners often read 为 here as fourth tone wèi, as in 为什么 (wèi shénme). In 为主 it is second tone wéi, the same as in 认为 (rènwéi) and 成为 (chéngwéi).
为主 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
为 wèi · because of · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
主 zhǔ · owner · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 为主.
| 为什么 | wèi shénme | why?; for what reason? |
| 因为 | yīnwèi | because; owing to; on account of |
| 认为 | rènwéi | to believe; to think; to consider; to feel |
| 以为 | yǐwéi | to think; to believe (often with the implication that the belief is mistaken – unless refe |
| 成为 | chéngwéi | to become; to turn into |
| 行为 | xíngwéi | action; conduct; behavior; activity |
| 主人 | zhǔrén | owner; host |
| 主要 | zhǔyào | main; principal; major; primary |
| 为了 | wèile | for; for the purpose of; in order to |
| 主意 | zhǔyi | plan; idea |
| 称为 | chēngwéi | to be called; to be known as; to call it "..." |
| 主任 | zhǔrèn | director; head |
Questions about 为主
What does 为主 mean?
为主 (wéizhǔ) means "to rely mainly on; to attach most importance to" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 为主?
为主 is made of 2 characters: 为 (4 strokes), 主 (5 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 为主 an HSK word?
Yes. 为主 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 为主 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 为主 is written 為主.
What is the difference between 为主 and 主要?
主要 (zhǔyào) is an adjective or adverb placed before what it describes, as in 主要是米饭 (mainly rice). 为主 is a verb phrase that comes after the noun, as in 以米饭为主. They express a similar idea but sit in different positions in the sentence.
Can 为主 be paired with 为辅?
Yes. A common pattern is 以 A 为主，以 B 为辅, meaning A is primary and B is supplementary. For example, 以预防为主，以治疗为辅 means prevention comes first and treatment plays a supporting role.