99 lines
6.6 KiB
Markdown
99 lines
6.6 KiB
Markdown
# Expressing purpose with "为了"
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<TOC>
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- Level: [B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points) / [HSK3](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK3_grammar_points)
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- Similar to
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- [Expressing "for" with "为"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22for%22_with_%22wei%22) (B1)
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- [Expressing "in this way" with "这样"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22in_this_way%22_with_%22zheyang%22) (B1)
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- [Using "来" to connect two verb phrases](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_%22lai%22_to_connect_two_verb_phrases) (B1)
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- [Expressing purpose with "好"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_purpose_with_%22hao%22) (B2)
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- [Stating the effect before the cause](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Stating_the_effect_before_the_cause) (B2)
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- [Explaining purpose with "为... 而..."](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Explaining_purpose_with_%22wei..._er...%22) (C1)
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- Used for: [Expressing purpose](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_purpose)
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- Keywords: [为了](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%BA%E4%BA%86), [为](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%BA)
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</TOC>
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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 almost exactly corresponds to "in order to" or "for the purpose of" in English.
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## Basic Usage
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When 为了 indicates the purpose of an action, it's usually acting as a [preposition](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Preposition). In this role, the _whole_ "为了 phrase" should come **before** the verb.
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### Structure
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为了 ⋯⋯ ，Subj. ⋯⋯
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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.
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### Examples
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- _为了_ 钱 ，他 什么 都 愿意 做 。
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- _Wèile_ qián, tā shénme dōu yuànyì zuò.
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- He's willing to do anything for money.
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- _为了_ 孩子 的 未来 ，他 决定 搬到 上海 。
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- _Wèile_ háizi de wèilái, tā juédìng bāndào Shànghǎi.
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- He decided to move to Shanghai for his children's future.
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- _为了_ 这个 面试 ，他 买 了 一 套 很 贵 的 西服 。
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- _Wèile_ zhège miànshì, tā mǎi le yī tào hěn guì de xīfú.
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- He bought a very expensive suit for this job interview.
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- _为了_ 找 灵感 ，那个 作家 搬到 了 农村 。
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- _Wèile_ zhǎo línggǎn, nàge zuòjiā bān dào le nóngcūn.
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- In order to find inspiration, that writer moved to the countryside.
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- 五年 前 ，_为了_ 女朋友 ，他 放弃 了 上海 的 工作。
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- wǔniánqián，_Wèile_ nǚpéngyou, tā fàngqì le Shànghǎi de gōngzuò.Five years ago he passed up a job in Shanghai for his girlfriend.
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- _为了_ 奖励 大家 ，公司 明年 带 你们 去 日本 旅行 。
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- _Wèile_ jiǎnglì dàjiā, gōngsī míngnián dài nǐmen qù Rìběn lǚxíng.
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- In order to reward everyone, the company will take you all on a trip to Japan next year.
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## Expressing "the Reason Why"
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Sometimes you will see 为了 following 是. In this case, 为了 mean "for." Note that 为了 and 因为 both have the character 为 in them, and they have sort of similar meanings. You will also see 因为 following 是, instead of 为了. It literally means "is because (of)."
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### Structure
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⋯⋯ 是 + 为了 / 因为 ⋯⋯
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### Examples
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- 我 这么 做 _是 为了_ 帮 你 。
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- Wǒ zhème zuò _shì wèile_ bāng nǐ.
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- I did all this to help you.
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- 他 做 兼职 _是 为了_ 多 赚 点 钱 。
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- Tā zuò jiānzhí _shì wèile_ duō zhuàn diǎn qián.
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- The reason why he has a part time job is to make a little more money.
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- 你 学 中文 _是 因为_ 你 的 中国 女朋友 吗 ？
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- Nǐ xué Zhōngwén _shì yīnwèi_ nǐde Zhōngguó nǚpéngyou ma?
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- Are you studying Chinese because of your Chinese girlfriend?
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- 我们 之 所以 反对 _是 因为_ 风险 太 大 。
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- Wǒmen zhī suǒyǐ fǎnduì _shì yīnwèi_ fēngxiǎn tài dà.
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- The reason why we oppose it is because the risk is too high.
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Note that [之所以](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Stating_the_effect_before_the_cause) is a more difficult pattern, which means "the reason why" in a more formal way.
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## See also
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- [Expressing "for" with "为"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22for%22_with_%22wei%22)
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- [Expressing purpose with "好"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_purpose_with_%22hao%22)
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- [Using "来" to connect two verb phrases](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_%22lai%22_to_connect_two_verb_phrases)
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- [Stating the effect before the cause](../B2/之所以.md)
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## Sources and further reading
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### Books
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- [Home With Kids1 (家有儿女1)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Home_With_Kids1_(%E5%AE%B6%E6%9C%89%E5%84%BF%E5%A5%B31)>) (pp. 32) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
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- [New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_4_(%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%BE%E6%9C%AC4)>) (pp. 40) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
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- [卓越汉语－公司实战篇](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%8D%93%E8%B6%8A%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%EF%BC%8D%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%E5%AE%9E%E6%88%98%E7%AF%87) (pp. 12) [卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy](http://amzn.to/2z4g8q6,)
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- [现代汉语虚词例释](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%99%9A%E8%AF%8D%E4%BE%8B%E9%87%8A) (pp. 484, 572) [卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy](http://amzn.to/2z4g8q6,)
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- [Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_1) (pp. 347-8) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
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### Websites
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- Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: [Uses of 为 and 为了](http://comet.cls.yale.edu/chineseusagedictionary/0236.html)
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### Podcasts
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- [ Chinesepod Qingwen 为 and 为了](http://chinesepod.com/lessons/%E4%B8%BA-and-%E4%B8%BA%E4%BA%86)
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