In order to in Chinese 1 – 为了 wèile

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Grammar · HSK 3
Grammar Point · HSK 3

为了 wèile — “In Order To” 1

“In order to” translates into Chinese as 为了 wèile. It is a preposition used to indicate the purpose of an action or the intention or goal behind it.

In this article we’ll look at how to build sentences with 为了 wèile, how to negate them, and how 为了 wèile differs from 为 wèi.

In order to in Chinese - 為了/为了 wèile

为了 wèile sits in front of the goal, and the rest of the sentence is the action taken to reach it.

1 Structure

为了 wèile + aim/goal, do sth.

为了wèile学xué中文zhōngwén，我wǒ决定juédìng去qù台湾Táiwān
In order to learn Chinese, I decided to go to Taiwan.
我wǒ为了wèile减肥jiǎnféi，开始kāishǐ运动yùndòng
I started to exercise in order to lose weight.
我wǒ为了wèile练习liànxí英文yīngwén，开始kāishǐ做zuò这zhè个ge网站wǎngzhàn
I started this site to practice English.

Do sth. + 是 shì + 为了 wèile + aim/goal

This structure emphasizes the purpose or intention behind an action. Adding 是 shì brings a stronger emphasis on the purpose clause, clarifying the specific intention or goal behind an action.

我wǒ开始kāishǐ运动yùndòng，是shì为了wèile减肥jiǎnféi
I started exercising to lose weight.
我wǒ搬bān去qù上海shànghǎi是shì为了wèile寻找xúnzhǎo更gèng好hǎo的de工作gōngzuò机会jīhuì
I moved to Shanghai in order to seek better job opportunities. (It emphasizes that the main motivation for the move was to find better job prospects.)
我wǒ跟gēn你nǐ分手fēnshǒu是shì为了wèile让ràng你nǐ自由zìyóu
I broke up with you in order to set you free.
你nǐ半夜bànyè打dǎ电话diànhuà给gěi我wǒ只zhǐ是shì为了wèile问wèn我wǒ这zhè件jiàn事shì吗ma？
Did you call me in the middle of the night just to ask me about this matter? 🤬

2 Negation

我wǒ做zuò这zhè个ge网站wǎngzhàn不bú为了wèile挣钱zhèngqián
I do not do this site to make money.
我wǒ没méi为了wèile钱qián，就jiù去qù做zuò违法wéifǎ的de事shì
I did not do illegal things in order to get money.
我wǒ做zuò这zhè些xiē事shì，不bú为了wèile得dé到dào你的nǐde原谅yuánliàng，只是zhǐshì想xiǎng补偿bǔcháng
I do these things not to seek your forgiveness, but to make amends.

不要 búyào + 为了 wèile + (aim/goal), do sth.

This is used to express a cautionary or advisory tone, suggesting not to take a certain action for the sake of a specific aim or goal.

你nǐ不bú要yào为了wèile减肥jiǎnféi完全wánquán不bù吃饭chīfàn
You do not have to skip meals in order to lose weight.
不bú要yào为了wèile成功chénggōng而ér放弃fàngqì梦想mèngxiǎng
Don’t give up on your dreams for the sake of success.
不bú要yào为了wèile结婚jiéhūn去qù结婚jiéhūn
Don’t get married just because you want to get married.
Culture Note: Blind Dates in Taiwan and China

In both China and Taiwan, there is often societal pressure regarding the age at which individuals should marry, leading to the popularity of blind dating or matchmaking events. Unlike in Western culture, these events typically involve 20 women and 20 men. It’s crazy, right? Each participant is given a card to write down their basic information. The men then hand their cards to the women seated opposite them and have 3 minutes to introduce themselves. After 3 minutes, a bell rings, and the men move to the next chair to repeat the process with a new woman. To be honest, it can be exhausting for men to repeat their introduction 20 times, and for women, it becomes challenging to match the right information with the correct guy after hearing so many introductions. Let me share a secret with you: in the end, they often end up choosing a person based on their physical appearance.

3 为 wèi vs 为了 wèile

为 wèi + Sth or Sb + V or SV

1. To express the reason or motivation behind an action.
2. To emphasize someone or something that typically benefits from an action.

让ràng我们wǒmen一起yìqǐ为wèi留学liúxué生活shēnghuó做zuò准备zhǔnbèi
Let’s prepare for the study abroad life together.
妈妈māma为wèi我wǒ做zuò了le很hěn多duō菜cài
My mother cooked a lot of dishes for me.

为了 wèile + aim/goal

A conjunction used to express the purpose or intention behind an action — it indicates that an action is done with a specific goal in mind.

为了wèile妈妈māma的de健康jiànkāng我wǒ开始kāishǐ学xué做zuò菜cài
For the health of my mother I began to learn to cook.
为了wèile学xué中文zhōngwén，我wǒ决定juédìng去qù台湾Táiwān
In order to learn Chinese, I decided to go to Taiwan.

Sometimes 为了 wèile is 为 wèi + 了 le

Chinese learners often get confused with the usage of 为 wèi and 为了 wèile, particularly when 为 wèi is followed by 了 le indicating completion of an action.

去年qùnián我的wǒde身体shēntǐ很hěn不bù好hǎo，所以suǒyǐ妈妈māma为wèi了le我wǒ，做zuò了le很hěn多duō菜cài
Last year I was not healthy, so my mother cooked a lot of dishes for me.
你nǐ为wèi了le你的nǐde女朋友nǚpéngyou做zuò了le那么nàme多duō事shì，她tā都dōu知道zhīdào吗ma？
You’ve done so much for your girlfriend, but does she know about it?

4 Practice

Tap the card to see the answer.

01I got up early in order to catch the first bus.
为了wèile赶上gǎnshàng第一dìyī班bān公交车gōngjiāochē，我wǒ很hěn早zǎo就jiù起床qǐchuáng了le。
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02She studies every night in order to pass the exam.
为了wèile通过tōngguò考试kǎoshì，她tā每天měitiān晚上wǎnshàng都dōu学习xuéxí。
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03In order to save money, he doesn’t eat out often.
为了wèile省shěng钱qián，他tā不bù常cháng在zài外面wàimiàn吃饭chīfàn。
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04We turned off the lights in order to save electricity.
我们wǒmen为了wèile省shěng电diàn，把bǎ灯dēng关guān掉diào了le。
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05I’m learning to cook in order to take care of my family.
我wǒ为了wèile照顾zhàogù家人jiārén，开始kāishǐ学xué做饭zuòfàn。
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06He went to Taipei in order to look for a job.
他tā为了wèile找zhǎo工作gōngzuò去qù了le台北Táiběi。
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07I didn’t say anything in order to avoid an argument.
我wǒ为了wèile避免bìmiǎn吵架chǎojià，什么shénme都dōu没méi说shuō。
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08Was it just to save time that you took a taxi?
你nǐ打dǎ车chē是shì为了wèile省shěng时间shíjiān吗ma？
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09Don’t stay up late just to finish a game.
不bú要yào为了wèile打dǎ完wán一yì场chǎng游戏yóuxì而ér熬夜áoyè。
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10I’m not doing this in order to compete with you.
我wǒ做zuò这zhè件jiàn事shì不bú是shì为了wèile跟gēn你nǐ比较bǐjiào。
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Related Grammar

→为 wèi 1(HSK 3) →为 wèi 2(HSK 3) →为 wèi and 为了 wèile Practice(HSK 3) →“In order to” 2 — 为的是 wèideshì and 为 wèi… 而 ér(HSK 5)

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