懂中文 Dong Chinese

爲

wèi, wéi

do

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

Components
又 iconic component

又  Iconic component

yòu

  

(hand), again

Depicts a hand.

象 iconic component

象  Iconic component

xiàng

  

elephant

Evolution

爲 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

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

Bronze script

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

Seal script

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

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
爲 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

爲  

wèi

do, handle, govern, act; be

为 (爲) 

wéi

variant of 為|为[wéi]; as (i.e. in the capacity of); to take sth as; to act as; to serve as; to behave as; to become; to be; to do

为 (爲) 

wèi

variant of 為|为[wèi], because of; for; to

Most common words with 爲
Freq.
Word
Meaning

为

to act as

因为

because

为什么

why?

认为

to believe

为了

in order to