为了 from HSK Level 3 Vocabulary List

The Chinese word 为了 (wèile) is a preposition that means "in order to" or "for the purpose of." It is composed of two characters: 为 (wèi), which means "for" or "on behalf of," and 了 (le), which is a grammatical particle that indicates the completion of an action.The character 为 (wèi) is derived from the oracle bone script, which is the earliest known form of Chinese writing. In the oracle bone script, the character 为 is depicted as a person holding a sacrificial offering. This suggests that the original meaning of the character was "to offer a sacrifice." Over time, the meaning of the character expanded to include the more general sense of "for" or "on behalf of."The character 了 (le) is also derived from the oracle bone script. In the oracle bone script, the character 了 is depicted as a hand holding a knife. This suggests that the original meaning of the character was "to cut." Over time, the meaning of the character expanded to include the more general sense of "to complete" or "to finish."When the characters 为 and 了 are combined, they form the word 为了 (wèile), which means "in order to" or "for the purpose of." This word is used to express the purpose or goal of an action. For example, the sentence 我学习中文是为了更好地了解中国文化 (wǒ xuéxí zhōngwén shì wèile gèng hǎo de liǎojiě zhōngguó wénhuà) means "I am learning Chinese in order to better understand Chinese culture."The word 为了 (wèile) is a versatile preposition that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is an essential word for HSK learners to master, as it is used frequently in both spoken and written Chinese.