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為

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See also: 爲, 为, and 𫞟
為 U+70BA, 為
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-70BA
← 点
[U+70B9] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 炻 →
[U+70BB]

Translingual

Stroke order
Traditional 為
Simplified 为
Japanese 為
Korean 爲

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

Descendants

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

trad. 為/爲
simp. 为
alternative forms 𤔡
𫞟
𬊓
𦥮 ancient

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
Characters in the same phonetic series (爲) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
譌 *ŋʷaːl
嬀 *kʷral
潙 *kʷral, *ɢʷal
蟡 *kʷralʔ, *qʷral
僞 *ŋʷrals
噅 *qʰʷral
撝 *qʰʷral
爲 *ɢʷal, *ɢʷal, *ɢʷals
鄬 *ɢʷal, *ɢʷalʔ
蔿 *ɢʷalʔ
儰 *ɢʷalʔ
寪 *ɢʷalʔ
蘤 *ɢʷalʔ

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

Rime
Character 為
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 云 (35)
Final (韻) 支 (14)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) III
Fanqie 薳支切
Baxter hjwe
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/ɦˠiuᴇ/
Pan
Wuyun 		/ɦʷᵚiɛ/
Shao
Rongfen 		/ɣiuɛ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/ɦjwiə̆/
Li
Rong 		/ɣjue/
Wang
Li 		/ɣǐwe/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/wie̯/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		wéi
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		wai4
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 為
Reading # 1/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		wéi
Middle
Chinese 		‹ hjwe ›
Old
Chinese 		/*ɢʷ(r)aj/
English make, do, act as

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 為
Reading # 1/2
Phonetic
component 		爲
Rime
group 		歌
Rime
subdivision 		1
Corresponding
MC rime 		爲
Old
Chinese 		/*ɢʷal/
Notes 俗爲字

Definitions

為

  1. to do; to make
    為所欲為／为所欲为  ―  wéisuǒyùwéi  ―  to do whatever one wants to do
  2. to administer; to govern
  3. to construct; to make
  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. [Pinyin]
    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. [Pinyin]
    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. [Pinyin]
    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. [Pinyin]
    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. [Pinyin]
    A kilogram is two pounds.
  6. to take something as
  7. to act as; to serve as; to behave as
    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 [Pinyin]
    Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary
  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 [Pinyin]
    to not be accepted by society
  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

Rime
Character 為
Reading # 2/2
Initial (聲) 云 (35)
Final (韻) 支 (14)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) III
Fanqie 于僞切
Baxter hjweH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/ɦˠiuᴇH/
Pan
Wuyun 		/ɦʷᵚiɛH/
Shao
Rongfen 		/ɣiuɛH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/ɦjwiə̆H/
Li
Rong 		/ɣjueH/
Wang
Li 		/ɣǐweH/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/wie̯H/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		wèi
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		wai6
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 為
Reading # 2/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		wèi
Middle
Chinese 		‹ hjweH ›
Old
Chinese 		/*ɢʷ(r)aj-s/
English for, because

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 為
Reading # 2/2
Phonetic
component 		爲
Rime
group 		歌
Rime
subdivision 		1
Corresponding
MC rime 		爲
Old
Chinese 		/*ɢʷals/

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? [Pinyin]
    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. [Pinyin]
    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 [Pinyin]
    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

Sino-Xenic (為):
  • → Japanese: 為(い) (i)
  • ⇒ Middle Korean: 위ᄒᆞ다 (wuyhota)
  • → Vietnamese: vì

    • Japanese

    Shinjitai

    		為

    Kyūjitai

    		爲

    Kanji

    為

    (Jōyō kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 爲)

    Readings

    Compounds

    Compounds

    Etymology 1

    Kanji in this term
    為
    い
    Grade: S
    on'yomi
    Alternative spelling
    爲 (kyūjitai)

    /wi/ → /i/

    From Middle Chinese 為 (MC hjwe).

    Noun

    為(い) • (i) ←ゐ (wi)?

    1. the twelfth string on a 箏 (koto, “Japanese zither”)
    2. a fingering method for playing the 尺八 (shakuhachi, “Japanese endblown flute”)

    Affix

    為(い) • (i) ←ゐ (wi)?

    1. do, perform, carry out
    Derived terms
    Derived terms

    Etymology 2

    Kanji in this term
    為
    ため
    Grade: S
    kun'yomi
    Alternative spelling
    爲 (kyūjitai)
    For pronunciation and definitions of 為 – see the following entry.
    【ため】
    [noun] an advantage, benefit
    [noun] a cause, reason
    [noun] an objective, sake
    [noun] the affecting, concerning, regarding
    [proper noun] a surname
    Alternative spelling
    為め
    (This term, 為, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

    Etymology 3

    Kanji in this term
    為
    す
    Grade: S
    kun'yomi
    Alternative spelling
    爲 (kyūjitai)
    For pronunciation and definitions of 為 – see the following entry.
    【す】
    [verb] (archaic) to do
    [verb] (archaic) to cause, become
    (This term, 為, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

    Usage notes

    • Also used as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨su⟩.

    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

    為

    1. Alternative form of 爲.
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