Difference between revisions of "Expressing purpose with "weile""

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为了 (wèile) is most often used to indicate the purpose of an action, or the person that will benefit from some act of kindness.  In the "purpose" sense, it corresponds pretty well to "in order to" or "for the purpose of" in English.
 
为了 (wèile) is most often used to indicate the purpose of an action, or the person that will benefit from some act of kindness.  In the "purpose" sense, it corresponds pretty well to "in order to" or "for the purpose of" in English.
  
== 为了 as a preposition ==
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== Basic Pattern ==
  
 
When 为了 indicates the purpose of an action, it's usually acting as a [[preposition]].  In this role, the ''whole'' "为了 phrase" should come '''before''' the verb.
 
When 为了 indicates the purpose of an action, it's usually acting as a [[preposition]].  In this role, the ''whole'' "为了 phrase" should come '''before''' the verb.
 
Note also that 为了 is a single word; the 了 here is not serving its role as a particle in this case.
 
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
为了+ [Purpose],Subject + Predicate
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为了+ ,Subject + Predicate
 
</div>
 
</div>
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Note also that 为了 is a single word; the 了 here is not serving its role as a particle in this case.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* <em>为了</em> 钱 , 他 出卖 了 朋友 。 <span class="expl">money is the purpose</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Wèile</em> qián, tā chūmài le péngyou.</span><span class="trans">He betrayed his friends for money.</span>
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*<em>为了</em> 钱 , 他 什么 都 愿意 做 。 <span class="expl">money is the purpose</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Wèile</em> qián, tā .</span><span class="trans">He's willing to do anything for money.</span>
* <em>为了</em> 给 太太 庆祝生日,他 办 了 一 个 盛大的 派对 。 <span class="expl">the wife benefits</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Wèile</em> gěi tā tàitài qìngzhù shēngrì, tā bàn le yī gè shèngdà de pàiduì.</span><span class="trans">He threw a grand party to celebrate his wife's birthday.</span>
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*<em>为了</em> 给 太太 庆祝 生日,他 办 了 一 个 很 大 的 派对 。 <span class="expl">the wife benefits</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Wèile</em> gěi tā tàitài qìngzhù shēngrì, tā bàn le yī gè hěn dà de pàiduì.</span><span class="trans">He threw a huge party to celebrate his wife's birthday.</span>
* <em>为了</em> 有 一个 好 的 未来, 我 必须 好好 学习 。 <span class="expl">having a good future is the purpose</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Wèile</em> yǒu yī gè hǎo de wèilái, wǒ bìxū hǎo hào xuéxí.</span><span class="trans">In order to have a good future, I have to study hard.</span>
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*<em>为了</em> 有 一个 好 的 未来, 我 必须 好好 学习 。 <span class="expl">having a good future is the purpose</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Wèile</em> yǒu yī gè hǎo de wèilái, wǒ bìxū hǎo hào xuéxí.</span><span class="trans">In order to have a good future, I have to study hard.</span>
* <em>为了</em> 让 自己 有 更好 的 语言 环境, 我 打算 去 中国 留学 一年。<span class="expl">having a better language-learning environment is the purpose</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Wèile</em> ràng zìjǐ yǒu gèng hǎo de yǔyán huánjìng, wǒ dǎsuàn qù zhōngguó liúxué yī nián.</span><span class="trans">In order to have a better language-learning environment, I plan to go to study in China for 1 year.</span>
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*<em>为了</em> 让 自己 有 更好 的 语言 环境, 我 打算 去 中国 留学 一年。<span class="expl">having a better language-learning environment is the purpose</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Wèile</em> ràng zìjǐ yǒu gèng hǎo de yǔyán huánjìng, wǒ dǎsuàn qù zhōngguó liúxué yī nián.</span><span class="trans">In order to have a better language-learning environment, I plan to go to study in China for 1 year.</span>
* <em>为了</em> 让 孩子 一 生下来 就 是 美国人,中国 很多  有钱人 都 在 美国 生孩子。<span class="expl">for their kids to become an American citizen as soon as they're born is the purpose</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Wèile</em> ràng háizi yīshēng xiàlái jiùshì Měiguó rén, Zhōngguó hěn duō yǒuqiánrén dōu zài Měiguó shēng háizi.</span><span class="trans">In order to make their child an American citizen, a lot of  rich Chinese people stay in the United States during their pregnancy.</span></div>
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</div>
  
 
== 为了 after 是==
 
== 为了 after 是==
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 我 这么做 是 <em>为了</em> 给 你 一个 更好 的 未来。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ (zhīsuǒyǐ) zhème zuò shì <em>wèile</em> gěi nǐ yī gè gèng hǎo de weìlái.</span><span class="trans">The reason I did all this was to give you a better future.</span>
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*我 这么做 是 <em>为了</em> 给 你 一个 更好 的 未来。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ (zhīsuǒyǐ) zhème zuò shì <em>wèile</em> gěi nǐ yī gè gèng hǎo de weìlái.</span><span class="trans">The reason I did all this was to give you a better future.</span>
* 我 离开 中国 是 <em>为了</em> 去 美国 结婚 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ (zhīsuǒyǐ) líkāi zhōngguó shì <em>wèile</em> qù Měiguó jiéhūn.</span><span class="trans">The reason I left China was to go to the United States to get married.</span>
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*她 离职 是 <em>为了</em> 出国 生 孩子 。<span class="trans">The reason why she left the job is to go abroad and deliver the baby.</span>
*他俩 一直 不要 孩子 是 <em>为了</em> 多 点 时间 享受 二人世界 。<span class="pinyin">Tā liǎ (zhīsuǒyǐ) yīzhí bùyào háizi shì <em>wèile</em> duō diǎn shíjiān xiǎngshòu èrrénshìjiè.</span><span class="trans">The reason they don't want to have kids is so they can spend more time with each other.</span>
 
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
  
{{Basic Grammar|为了|B1|为了 + Purpose + Verb|<em>为了</em> 你,我 愿意 做 。|grammar point|ASGQGJXT}}
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{{Basic Grammar|为了|B1|为了 + Purpose + Verb|<em>为了</em> 钱 ,他 什么 都 愿意 做 。|grammar point|ASGQGJXT}}
 
{{Rel char|为}}
 
{{Rel char|为}}
 
{{Rel char|了}}
 
{{Rel char|了}}

Revision as of 09:20, 23 October 2017

为了 (wèile) is most often used to indicate the purpose of an action, or the person that will benefit from some act of kindness. In the "purpose" sense, it corresponds pretty well to "in order to" or "for the purpose of" in English.

Basic Pattern

When 为了 indicates the purpose of an action, it's usually acting as a preposition. In this role, the whole "为了 phrase" should come before the verb.

Structure

为了+ ,Subject + Predicate

Note also that 为了 is a single word; the 了 here is not serving its role as a particle in this case.

Examples

  • 为了 钱 , 他 什么 都 愿意 做 。 money is the purposeWèile qián, tā .He's willing to do anything for money.
  • 为了 给 太太 庆祝 生日,他 办 了 一 个 很 大 的 派对 。 the wife benefitsWèile gěi tā tàitài qìngzhù shēngrì, tā bàn le yī gè hěn dà de pàiduì.He threw a huge party to celebrate his wife's birthday.
  • 为了 有 一个 好 的 未来, 我 必须 好好 学习 。 having a good future is the purposeWèile yǒu yī gè hǎo de wèilái, wǒ bìxū hǎo hào xuéxí.In order to have a good future, I have to study hard.
  • 为了 让 自己 有 更好 的 语言 环境, 我 打算 去 中国 留学 一年。having a better language-learning environment is the purposeWèile ràng zìjǐ yǒu gèng hǎo de yǔyán huánjìng, wǒ dǎsuàn qù zhōngguó liúxué yī nián.In order to have a better language-learning environment, I plan to go to study in China for 1 year.

为了 after 是

Sometimes you will see 为了 coming after 是. In this case, it often goes with 之所以 (a more difficult pattern, not explored here), which means "the reason why" in a more formal way.

Structure

⋯⋯是 + 为了 + Purpose / Reason

Example

  • 我 这么做 是 为了 给 你 一个 更好 的 未来。Wǒ (zhīsuǒyǐ) zhème zuò shì wèile gěi nǐ yī gè gèng hǎo de weìlái.The reason I did all this was to give you a better future.
  • 她 离职 是 为了 出国 生 孩子 。The reason why she left the job is to go abroad and deliver the baby.

See Also

Sources and further reading

Podcasts

Books

Websites