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Kanji Detail for 為 - "to make, to do"

為

  • Meaning

    為 means "to make, to do." Also associated with to become.

    1. To do - To perform; to act.

    2. To become - To be completed; to be accomplished.

    3. To make - To create; to establish; to construct.

    4. To govern - To manage; to rule.

    5. To heal - To cure; to treat.

    6. To imitate - To fake; to copy and learn.

    7. Question particle - Read as "ya" or "ka" to express doubt or rhetorical question.

    8. For the sake of - To help; to benefit.

  • Words using 為

    • 行為 こうい Listen act; deed; conduct
    • 為替 かわせ Listen money order; draft; exchange (e.g. foreign)
    • 為替相場 かわせそうば Listen exchange rate; rate of exchange
    • 人為的 じんいてき Listen artificial; unnatural; human-caused (e.g. mistake, error, disaster)
    • 人為 じんい Listen human work; human agency; art
    • 為す なす Listen to do; to commit; to carry out

  • Four-character idioms with 為

    • 不法行為 ふほうこうい Listen tort; illegal act; illegal activity
    • 人為淘汰 じんいとうた Listen artificial selection
    • 寂滅為楽 じゃくめついらく Listen freedom from one's desires (entry into Nirvana) is true bliss
    • 有為転変 ういてんぺん Listen mutability (of worldly affairs); fleeting shifts and changes (of human life)
    • 無為徒食 むいとしょく Listen idling one's time away
    • 無為無策 むいむさく Listen do-nothing, plan-nothing (government, etc.)

  • Tattoo check: 為

    • Verified meaning: to make, to do
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read ため, ためもと, なり)
    • Also carries these associations: to become

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 為

    Given names 為(ためもと)Listen 為(なり)Listen

    Surnames 為(ため)Listen

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    do; change; make; benefit; welfare; be of use; reach to; try; practice; cost; serve as; good; advantage; as a result of

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    do, handle, govern, act; be

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    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)

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    To do. All human activities are called 為. As in 作為 (conduct), 行為 (behavior). | To fabricate. (Mencius) "The busybodies made it up." Meaning to fabricate words. | To govern. Governing a state is also called 為國. What cannot be governed is also called 不可為. | A grammatical particle. (Analects) "Though many, what use would it be?" (Mencius) "Why the confusion?" | Like "because." (Mencius) "Because it resembles humans and is used [for burial]." | To help. (Analects) "The Master would not do so." | [Character analysis] Now commonly written as 為.

  • Onyomi

    tip

    i(イ) イ

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    na.su(なす) なす

    nari(なり) なり

    naru(な-る) な-る

    su.ru(す-る) す-る

    tame(ため) ため

    tari(たり) たり

    tsuku.ru(つく-る) つく-る

  • Strokes

    tip

    9 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    火 灬 (hi・hihen・rekka・renga)

  • Related Keywords

    to do to become to make to govern to heal to imitate for the sake of purpose create build construct produce function benefit advantage duty responsibility intention reason

Sentences including 為

  • Your behavior does not come up to my expectations.

  • I was born to love you.

  • I'd like a money order for ten dollars.

  • She went to france in order to study music.

  • Let's hurry so as not to waste time.

  • I will do anything for you.

  • He failed for want of experience.

  • I can't forget his kindness.

  • My father exercises every day for his health.

  • I went home in order to change my clothes.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 火 灬 (hi・hihen・rekka・renga)

See all kanji with this radical →

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