Meaning of 为何
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- why
How to use 为何
为何 is a formal or written way to ask why. You will see it in news, essays, titles, and speeches more than in casual talk. Example: 他为何没来？ (Tā wèihé méi lái?) Why didn't he come?
为何 is built from 为 (wèi, for) and 何 (hé, what), so it literally means "for what," which is why. Think of it as a compressed, bookish version of 为什么 (wèi shénme), with 何 standing in for 什么.
Common mistake: Learners often read 为 here as wéi (second tone), as in 认为 (rènwéi) or 成为 (chéngwéi). In 为何 it is wèi (fourth tone), the same as in 为什么 and 因为.
为何 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
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- 2
- 3
- 4
何 hé · what · 7 strokes
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- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 为何.
| 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 |
| 为了 | wèile | for; for the purpose of; in order to |
| 任何 | rènhé | any; whatever; whichever |
| 如何 | rúhé | how; what way |
| 称为 | chēngwéi | to be called; to be known as; to call it "..." |
| 变为 | biànwéi | to change into |
| 作为 | zuòwéi | one's conduct; deed |
Questions about 为何
What does 为何 mean?
为何 (wèihé) means "why" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 为何?
为何 is made of 2 characters: 为 (4 strokes), 何 (7 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 为何 an HSK word?
Yes. 为何 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 为何 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 为何 is written 為何.
Can I use 为何 in everyday conversation instead of 为什么?
You can, but it sounds stiff or literary in casual speech. In daily conversation, 为什么 or the colloquial 怎么 (zěnme) are more natural. Save 为何 for writing or formal settings.
What does 何 mean on its own and where else does it appear?
何 (hé) is a classical word for what or which. It appears in other formal expressions like 如何 (rúhé, how), 何时 (héshí, when), and 何处 (héchù, where).