为 wèi — do, be · English

为

wèi

do, be

At a glance · 为

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

为字甲骨文象以手牵象之形，本义为劳作、作为；金文、小篆承之，隶变作『為』『为』。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

为本义为做、作为，引申为是、成为。

Structure

为为会意字，描摹手牵大象从事劳役，表示行为作为。

At a glance

Pinyinwèi

Radical丶

Strokes4

UnicodeU+4E3A

Character type会意

Theme动作

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English do, be Wei was originally a pictograph of a hand leading an elephant to work, meaning to act and do.

Français faire, être Wei était à l'origine un pictogramme d'une main menant un éléphant au travail, signifiant agir et faire.

Español hacer, ser Wei era originalmente un pictograma de una mano llevando un elefante a trabajar, significa actuar y hacer.

العربية يفعل، يكون وي كان في الأصل رسماً ليد تقود فيلاً للعمل، ويعني الفعل والعمل.

Русский делать, быть Вэй изначально было пиктограммой руки, ведущей слона на работу, означает действовать и делать.

Common words

作为zuò wéias
成为chéng wéibecome

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