wèiwéi

do

Simplified form of . Pictograph of a hand () guiding an elephant () to do work (in ancient China elephants were tamed to do work). Based on the meaning "to work; to do".

Components
又 iconic component

  Iconic component

yòu

  

(hand), again

象 iconic,simplified component

  Iconic Simplified component

xiàng

  

elephant

Evolution

为 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
为 Bronze script Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze script

Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
为 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
为 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
为 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
为 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

() 

wèi

do, handle, govern, act; be; because of; for; to

() 

wéi

as (in the capacity of); to take sth as; to act as; to serve as; to behave as; to become; to be; to do; by (in the passive voice)

() 

wéi

variant of |[wéi]; as (i.e. in the capacity of)

() 

wèi

variant of |[wèi], because of

Most common words with 为
Freq.
Word
Meaning

to act as

因为

because

为什么

why?

认为

to believe

为了

in order to

Component uses

Sound component in 2 characters (0 verified)