为了 (wèi le) — for; for the purpose of; in order to in Mandarin
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#162 most common word · HSK 3 · CEFR B1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
为了 is pronounced wèi le. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Tā wèile xuéxí hěn nǔlì.
He works hard in order to study.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 为了 mean?+
为了 (wèi le) means "for; for the purpose of; in order to" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 为了?+
为了 is pronounced wèi le. It uses the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 为了 in Mandarin?+
为了 is the #162 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 为了 fits
Every HSK 3 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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