因为 meaning in English
because; owing to; on account of
Meaning of 因为
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- because; owing to; on account of
How to use 因为
因为 introduces a reason and often pairs with 所以 (suǒyǐ, so) in the second clause. Example: 因为下雨，所以我没去。(Yīnwèi xià yǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ méi qù.) Because it rained, I didn't go. It can also work like a preposition before a noun phrase, as in 因为天气 (because of the weather).
因 (yīn) means cause or reason, and 为 (wèi) means for. Put together, 因为 is "for this reason," which is how you say because.
Common mistake: Learners often read 为 here as second tone wéi, as in 认为 (rènwéi) or 成为 (chéngwéi), but in 因为 it is fourth tone wèi, the same as in 为什么 (wèi shénme). In casual speech the 为 is often said lightly, but it is never wéi.
因为 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.
因 yīn · cause · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
为 wèi · because of · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 因为.
| 为什么 | wèi shénme | why?; for what reason? |
| 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 |
| 原因 | yuányīn | cause; origin |
| 行为 | xíngwéi | action; conduct; behavior; activity |
| 为了 | wèile | for; for the purpose of; in order to |
| 因此 | yīncǐ | thus; consequently; as a result |
| 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 |
| 列为 | lièwéi | to be classified as |
Questions about 因为
What does 因为 mean?
因为 (yīnwèi) means "because; owing to; on account of" and is used as a conjunction and preposition.
How do you write 因为?
因为 is made of 2 characters: 因 (6 strokes), 为 (4 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 因为 an HSK word?
Yes. 因为 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 因为 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 因为 is written 因為.
What is the difference between 因为 and 原因?
因为 is a connecting word meaning because. 原因 (yuányīn) is a noun meaning cause or reason, as in 原因是什么？(What is the reason?).
Can I answer a 为什么 question with just 因为?
Yes. In speech it is natural to reply to 为什么 (wèi shénme, why) with a sentence starting with 因为, for example 因为我很忙 (Because I am busy). You do not need 所以 in a short answer.