為

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

為 (Kangxi radical 86, 火+5, 9 strokes, cangjie input 戈大弓火 (IKNF), four-corner 2022₇, composition ⿵⿻𬼀⿳㇇㇇𠃌灬)

Derived characters

• 偽, 媯, 溈, 蒍, 𫞟, 𦖯, 𤔡, 𬊓

Descendants

• ゐ

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: not present, would follow page 669, character 10
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 18981
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2198, character 11
• Unihan data for U+70BA

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 為
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Simplified from 爲.

In the oracle bone script, it is an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 又 (“hand”) + 象 (“elephant”) — a hand holding an elephant. The 又 later became 爪 (“hand; claw”).

Shuowen Jiezi interprets the character as a representation of the female macaque.

Etymology

The two pronunciations below (“to make; to do; to be”, “for; to; because”) are cognate; the latter is the *–s derivative of the former. Words meaning “to make, to do” often have secondary meanings of “for, as” – compare 作.

Etymology not certain. Starostin compared this word with Tibetan བགྱིད (bgyid, “to make, to manufacture”), བགྱི་བ (bgyi ba, “action, deed”), ཡིན (yin, “is, be”) and Burmese ဝေ (we, “to distribute, to share”). Schuessler (2007) listed *ʔaajh (“to give”) (> Khmer ឲ្យ (ʼaoy, “to give, to donate”)) and Khmer ធ្វើ (thvəə, “to do, to make”), although the vowels do not match.

The graphic representation using a monkey or an elephant probably stems from a homophonic or near-homophonic etymon which was rarely attested; compare Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b/g-woj-n > Jingpho woi (“monkey”) and possibly 猿 (OC *ɢʷan, “ape”). STEDT considers this word to be a possible descendant of Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-gwi(j) (“elephant”). Outside Sino-Tibetan, compare Proto-Vietic *-vɔːj (“elephant”) > Vietnamese voi (“elephant”).

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

為

1. to do; to make

   為所欲為／为所欲为  ―  wéisuǒyùwéi  ―  to do whatever one wants to do

   • 見義不為，無勇也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     见义不为，无勇也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Jiàn yì bù wéi, wú yǒng yě.

     To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.

2. to administer; to govern

   • 善人為邦百年，亦可以勝殘去殺矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     善人为邦百年，亦可以胜残去杀矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Shànrén wéi bāng bǎinián, yì kěyǐ shèng cán qù shā yǐ.

     If good men were to govern a country in succession for a hundred years, they would be able to transform the violently bad, and dispense with capital punishments.

3. to construct; to make

   • 文王以民力為臺為沼。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     文王以民力为台为沼。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Wénwáng yǐ mínlì wéi tái wéi zhǎo.

     King Wen used the strength of the people to construct his tower and his pond.

   • 宋人有善為不龜手之藥者。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     宋人有善为不龟手之药者。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Sòng rén yǒu shàn wéi bù jūn shǒu zhī yào zhě.

     There was a man of Song who was skilful at making a salve which kept the hands from getting chapped.

4. to become; to turn into

   分為／分为  ―  fēnwéi  ―  to divide into, to split into

   那兩個組織已合併為一個組織。 [MSC, trad.]
   那两个组织已合并为一个组织。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nà liǎng ge zǔzhī yǐ hébìng wéi yī ge zǔzhī.

   Those two organizations have been amalgamated into single one.

   它將重新結晶為原來的結構。 [MSC, trad.]
   它将重新结晶为原来的结构。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā jiāng chóngxīn jiéjīng wéi yuánlái de jiégòu.

   It will recrystallize into the original structure.

   他被晉升為上校。 [MSC, trad.]
   他被晋升为上校。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā bèi jìnshēng wéi shàngxiào.

   He was promoted to colonel.

5. to be (equivalent to, equal to)

   失業率為20%。／失业率为20%。  ―  Shīyèlǜ wéi 20%.  ―  Unemployment is running at 20 per cent.

   它的寬度為7米。 [MSC, trad.]
   它的宽度为7米。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā de kuāndù wéi 7 mǐ.

   It is 7 metres in width.

   一公斤為兩磅。 [MSC, trad.]
   一公斤为两磅。 [MSC, simp.]

   Yī gōngjīn wéi liǎng bàng.

   A kilogram is two pounds.

6. to take something as
7. to act as; to serve as; to behave as

   • 子曰：「溫故而知新，可以為師矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：「温故而知新，可以为师矣。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zǐ yuē: “Wēn gù ér zhī xīn, kěyǐ wéi shī yǐ.”

     The Master said, "If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others."

   以習近平同志為總書記的黨中央 [MSC, trad.]
   以习近平同志为总书记的党中央 [MSC, simp.]

   yǐ Xí Jìnpíng tóngzhì wéi zǒngshūjì de dǎng zhōngyāng

   Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary

   • 孟嘗君為相數十年。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     孟尝君为相数十年。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

     Mèngcháng Jūn wéi xiàng shùshí nián.

     Lord Mengchang served as the prime minister for decades.

   • 其竹節度三尺，柔細可為索，亦以皮為麻。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     其竹节度三尺，柔细可为索，亦以皮为麻。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Tang Dynasty, Fan Chuo, Manshu, chapter 7, part 7

     Qí zhújié duó sān chǐ, róuxì kě wéi suǒ, yì yǐ pí wéi má.

     Each joint measures three chi; thin and supple, it may be used as a rope, and its skin may also be used as linen.

8. by

   不為社會所接受 [MSC, trad.]
   不为社会所接受 [MSC, simp.]

   bù wéi shèhuì suǒ jiēshòu

   to not be accepted by society

   • 身客死於秦，為天下笑。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     身客死于秦，为天下笑。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Shēn kèsǐ yú qín, wéi tiānxià xiào.

     died in the State of Qin, and thus was ridiculed by everyone in the world.

9. Suffix used after a single-character adjective to form an adverb

   大為不滿／大为不满  ―  dàwéi bùmǎn  ―  greatly dissatisfied

   廣為流傳／广为流传  ―  guǎng wéi liúchuán  ―  widely circulated

10. Suffix used after a single-character adverb for emphasis

    頗為激動／颇为激动  ―  pōwéi jīdòng  ―  very emotional

    極為緊張／极为紧张  ―  jíwéi jǐnzhāng  ―  extremely nervous

Compounds

Pronunciation 2

Definitions

為

1. for

   為民服務／为民服务  ―  wèi mín fúwù  ―  to serve the people

   我能為你做點什麼嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
   我能为你做点什么吗？ [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ néng wèi nǐ zuò diǎn shénme ma?

   Can I do something for you?

   我真為你高興！／我真为你高兴！  ―  Wǒ zhēn wèi nǐ gāoxìng!  ―  I am really happy for you!

2. because of

   你為這生氣哦。／你为这生气哦。  ―  Nǐ wèi zhè shēngqì o.  ―  So that's what you're upset about?

   他為自己的錯誤道歉。 [MSC, trad.]
   他为自己的错误道歉。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā wèi zìjǐ de cuòwù dàoqiàn.

   He gave an apology for his mistake.

3. for the sake of

   為公平起見／为公平起见  ―  wèi gōngpíng qǐjiàn  ―  for the sake of fairness

   不為五斗米折腰／不为五斗米折腰  ―  bù wèi wǔ dǒu mǐ zhéyāo  ―  don't bow down for the sake of five pecks (or decalitres) of rice

   為實現理想而奮鬥 [MSC, trad.]
   为实现理想而奋斗 [MSC, simp.]

   wèi shíxiàn lǐxiǎng ér fèndòu

   to strive to make one’s dream come true

4. (literary) to

   不足為外人道／不足为外人道  ―  bùzú wèi wàirén dào  ―  not worth saying to outsiders

Compounds

Descendants

• ⇒ Middle Korean: 위ᄒᆞ다 (wuyhota)
  • Early Modern Korean: 위ᄒᆞ다 (wuyhota)
    • Korean: 위하다 (wihada)
• → Vietnamese: vì

Japanese

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 爲)

1. do, perform, carry out, sake

Readings

• Go-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kan-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kun: する (suru, 為る); ため (tame, 為); たり (tari, 為); つくる (tsukuru, 為る); なす (nasu, 為す); なり (nari, 為); なる (naru, 為る)
• Nanori: さだ (sada); しげ (shige); す (su); すけ (suke); た (ta); ち (chi); なり (nari); びい (bii); ゆき (yuki); よし (yoshi); より (yori)

Compounds

Etymology 1

Etymology 2

(The following entry is uncreated: た.)

Etymology 3

Usage notes

• Used as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨su⟩.

Etymology 4

/wi/ → /i/

From Middle Chinese 為 (MC hjwe).

Noun

為(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. the twelfth string on a koto (Japanese zither)
2. a fingering method for playing the shakuhachi (Japanese flute)

Affix

為(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. do; perform; carry out

Derived terms

Korean

Hanja

為 (eumhun 할 위 (hal wi))

1. Alternative form of 爲 (“to do; act”)

Vietnamese

Han character

為: Hán Nôm readings: vi, vị, vĩ

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.