Meaning of 为了
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- for; for the purpose of; in order to
How to use 为了
为了 (wèile) introduces a purpose or goal, and it usually comes at the start of the sentence before the main action. Example: 为了学好中文，他每天练习。(Wèile xuéhǎo Zhōngwén, tā měitiān liànxí.) In order to learn Chinese well, he practices every day.
为 (wèi) means "for" and 了 (le) is attached to it, so 为了 (wèile) is the word you reach for when you say what you are doing something for. Think of it as pointing at your goal: 为了 + goal, then the action.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 为了 (wèile, for the purpose of) with 因为 (yīnwèi, because). 为了 looks forward to a goal, while 因为 looks back at a cause, so 因为下雨，我没去 (because it rained, I didn't go) cannot use 为了. Also note that 为 here is fourth tone wèi, not second tone wéi as in 认为 (rènwéi).
为了 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
了 le · completed action marker · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
Related words
Words that share a character with 为了.
| 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 |
| 除了 | chúle | apart from; besides; in addition to (used to exclude, as in 除了他，誰也沒來|除了他，谁也没来[chu2 le5 ta1 |
| 称为 | chēngwéi | to be called; to be known as; to call it "..." |
| 极了 | jí le | extremely; exceedingly |
| 变为 | biànwéi | to change into |
| 了解 | liǎojiě | to understand; to know about; to learn about; to find out |
| 作为 | zuòwéi | one's conduct; deed |
Questions about 为了
What does 为了 mean?
为了 (wèile) means "for; for the purpose of; in order to" and is used as a preposition.
How do you write 为了?
为了 is made of 2 characters: 为 (4 strokes), 了 (2 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 为了 an HSK word?
Yes. 为了 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 为了 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 为了 is written 為了.
Can 为了 come after the main verb in a sentence?
Yes, with the pattern 是为了. For example, 我来中国是为了工作。(Wǒ lái Zhōngguó shì wèile gōngzuò.) I came to China in order to work. This puts the action first and the purpose second.
Can 为了 be followed by a person instead of a goal?
Yes. 为了 + a person means doing something for someone's sake, as in 为了孩子 (wèile háizi), for the children. It still expresses the reason you are acting.