漢字Kanji · in Nature & Elements
為: do, change
Also: make, benefit, welfare, be of use, reach to, try, practice, cost, serve as, good, advantage, as a result of
丶 and 灬 carry the meaning · 勹 is drawn in
Three readings, and the words that use each
イi · on'yomi · in compounds
- 行為こういact; deed; conduct
- 人為じんいhuman work; human agency; art
- 人為的じんいてきartificial; unnatural
ためtame · kun'yomi · on its own
- 為ためgood; advantage; benefit
- 為にためにfor; for the sake of; to one's advantage
なすnasu · kun'yomi
- 為すなすto do; to commit; to carry out
Special readingsThese words are read as a whole, not from the readings above.
- 為替かわせ
- 為替相場かわせそうばexchange rate; rate of exchange
Also read なる, する, たり, つくる, なり, with no example words in our sources. Words: JMdict, EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it comes from
Memory story · made up to help you remember
“These four dots are flames under a cooking pot! When you see 灬 at the bottom of a kanji, imagine a fire heating something from below.”
Connections
In ChineseSimplified 为 · traditional 爲 · wèi
Three different forms: Japanese 為, simplified 为, traditional 爲.
- Simplified
- 为 mainland China, Singapore
- Traditional
- 爲 Taiwan, Hong Kong
Pinyin wèi most common reading
False friend. Chinese also has a character 為 (wèi), but it is a different word. The Chinese for this kanji is 为 (simplified) or 爲 (traditional).
Forms and pinyin: Unicode Unihan database (Unicode License v3). Pinyin lists the most common reading, not every reading.