为 + Person (for someone's sake) · 为 + Pessoa (pelo bem de alguém)
Work for the people using the service
- A community team helps residents. 我们为大家服务。 — We serve everyone. 我们 names the workers; 大家 names the people served.
- The sentence states whom the service is for. It does not prove every resident used it or was satisfied.
Work for the people using the service
- A community team helps residents. we / us我们for / on account of (wèi, context)为everyone大家to serve服务。 — We serve everyone. we / us我们 names the workers; everyone大家 names the people served.
- The sentence states whom the service is for. It does not prove every resident used it or was satisfied.
A team is working to help its community. What does 我们为大家服务。 communicate?
大家 names the people served by the action. 为 marks a beneficiary or motive in established combinations. 为了 can introduce a purpose, and their meanings may overlap rather than forming an absolute divide.
Place the person before the action
- In this pattern, use subject + 为 + person + action. 为 is read wèi: 为大家服务, 为朋友准备晚饭 — prepare dinner for a friend.
- The friend receives the intended benefit. The cook and the friend are different roles; do not swap them when translating.
we我们for为everyone大家serve服务。
Place the person before the action
- In this pattern, use subject + for / on account of (wèi, context)为 + person + action. for / on account of (wèi, context)为 is read wèi: for / on account of (wèi, context)为everyone大家to serve服务, for / on account of (wèi, context)为friend朋友preparation准备evening meal晚饭 — prepare dinner for a friend.
- The friend receives the intended benefit. The cook and the friend are different roles; do not swap them when translating.
we我们for为everyone大家serve服务。
Use this lesson’s target form 为 in the demonstrated sentence: Serve everyone: 我们 ____ 大家服务。
为 + Person + VP = for someone: 为大家服务.
For someone can have different jobs
- 我为你高兴。 — I am happy for you. Your situation is the reason for my happiness; this is not a service delivered to you.
- 我为朋友准备晚饭。 names the friend for whom dinner is prepared. Read 为 with its surrounding action rather than assigning one role everywhere.
For someone can have different jobs
- I / me我for / on account of (wèi, context)为you你happy高兴。 — I am happy for you. Your situation is the reason for my happiness; this is not a service delivered to you.
- I / me我for / on account of (wèi, context)为friend朋友preparation准备evening meal晚饭。 names the friend for whom dinner is prepared. Read for / on account of (wèi, context)为 with its surrounding action rather than assigning one role everywhere.
Which contrast fits these complete examples: 为大家服务 and 为了早点到，我坐了地铁?
These complete examples have different roles. This is not an absolute ban on overlapping purpose meanings.
Match the whole phrase to the role of the person named after 为.
The surrounding action determines whether the person is served or prompts the feeling.
Compare a person with an explicit goal
- 为了早点到，我坐了地铁。 — To arrive earlier, I took the metro. 为了 introduces the goal of arriving earlier.
- 为 and 为了 can overlap in purpose meanings. “为 always means a person; 为了 always means a non-person goal” is too rigid; learn each complete construction.
Compare a person with an explicit goal
- in order to / for the purpose of为了breakfast早点to / arrive到，I / me我to sit坐(completed / change)了underground railway地铁。 — To arrive earlier, I took the metro. in order to / for the purpose of为了 introduces the goal of arriving earlier.
- for / on account of (wèi, context)为 and in order to / for the purpose of为了 can overlap in purpose meanings. “for / on account of (wèi, context)为 always means a person; in order to / for the purpose of为了 always means a non-person goal” is too rigid; learn each complete construction.
In 我们为大家服务, 大家 names the people served, while 我们 names the workers.
The role is bounded to this service example; 为你高兴 describes whose situation prompts happiness.
为 and 为了 never overlap in meaning.
为 marks a beneficiary or motive in established combinations. 为了 can introduce a purpose, and their meanings may overlap rather than forming an absolute divide. 大家 names the people served by the action.
为了早点到，我坐了地铁。 What is the stated goal?
早点到 is arriving earlier; taking the metro is the action chosen toward that goal.
Purpose does not guarantee success
- The cook says 我为朋友准备了晚饭，但朋友没来。 Dinner was prepared for the friend, but the friend did not come.
- The stated purpose remains even when the intended recipient does not eat. 为朋友 does not prove a successful delivery or a return favour.
Purpose does not guarantee success
- The cook says I / me我for / on account of (wèi, context)为friend朋友preparation准备(completed / change)了evening meal晚饭，but但friend朋友not / haven't没to come来。 Dinner was prepared for the friend, but the friend did not come.
- The stated purpose remains even when the intended recipient does not eat. for / on account of (wèi, context)为friend朋友 does not prove a successful delivery or a return favour.
我为朋友准备了晚饭，但朋友没来 proves the friend ate the prepared dinner.
The purpose is preparation for the friend; the friend did not come, and eating is not reported.
Identify who acts and why
- In 为大家服务, locate the workers, the people served and the action. In 为你高兴, locate whose situation prompts the happiness.
- For an explicit goal, read the whole 为了 phrase. Do not turn a purpose or intended benefit into a guaranteed outcome.
Read the full reference: HSK 5 grammar — Prepositions.
Identify who acts and why
- In for / on account of (wèi, context)为everyone大家to serve服务, locate the workers, the people served and the action. In for / on account of (wèi, context)为you你happy高兴, locate whose situation prompts the happiness.
- For an explicit goal, read the whole in order to / for the purpose of为了 phrase. Do not turn a purpose or intended benefit into a guaranteed outcome.
Read the full reference: HSK 5 grammar — Prepositions.