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以 A 为 B (take A as B)
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What do people eat there?
- You are describing food in different parts of China for a class presentation.
- 南方人takes以(cooked) rice米饭as the main part为主to feed (a person or animal)食。 — "People in the south take rice as their staple food."
takes以 A for为 B = take A as B
- takes以 A for为 B = "take A as B, regard A as B": a formal, written pattern.
- Common fixed forms: takes以…as the main part为主 (mainly …), takes以…for为center中心 (with … at the centre), takes以…as an example为例 (take … as an example).
this这time次the competition比赛takes以students学生as the main part为主。
Build: “Our classes focus mainly on speaking.”
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Topic + 以 A 为主.
Examples and focus
- takes以Beijing北京as an example为例，underground railway地铁(electricity) line线路already已经to surpass超过二十条。 — "Take Beijing as an example: it already has more than twenty metro lines."
- we / us我们(modifier / structural particle)的subject课takes以colloquial speech口语as the main part为主。 — "Our classes focus mainly on speaking."
take以Beijing北京as an example为例。
Complete (written): “Take Shanghai as an example.” ____上海为例。
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以 A 为例 = take A as an example.
Read for为 as wéi
- In this pattern for为 is read wéi ("as, to be"), not wèi ("for").
- It is written style; in speech say mainly主要to be / is是… or for example比如….
How is 为 read in 以米饭为主?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
In 以 A 为 B (“take A as B”), 为 is read wéi: 以米饭为主 “mainly rice”. Read wèi, it means “for”, as in 为什么.
takes以…as the main part为主 versus mainly主要
- Written: this这(measure word)家restaurant店takes以Sichuan food川菜as the main part为主 — "This restaurant mainly serves Sichuan food."
- Spoken: this这(measure word)家restaurant店mainly主要makes做Sichuan food川菜. Same meaning, plainer style.
this这(measure word)家restaurant店mainly主要makes做Sichuan food川菜。
这家店主要做川菜 is a spoken way to say 这家店以川菜为主.
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主要 is the everyday equivalent of 以…为主.
Recap
- takes以 A for为 B = take A as B (written); takes以…as the main part为主 = mainly …, takes以…as an example为例 = take … as an example.
- for为 is read wéi here; in speech use mainly主要 / for example比如.
Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Sentence patterns.
You are describing food in different parts of China for a class presentation. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.