How to say “by” in Chinese
by (为…所, lit.)
“By” in Chinese is 为, wéi: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
为 is read wéi. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Its second reading is wéi, “be, do”.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “为”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 为. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 因为下雨，所以我没去。yīnwèixiàyǔ,suǒyǐwǒméiqùIt was raining, so I didn't go.
- 你为什么没来nǐwèishénmeméiláiWhy didn't you come?
- 你为什么学汉语？nǐwèishénmexuéHànyǔWhy are you learning Chinese?
- 你昨天为什么没来上课？nǐzuótiānwèishénmeméiláishàngkèWhy didn't you come to class yesterday?
- 因为我生病了yīnwèiwǒshēngbìngleBecause I got sick.
- 你为什么没来上课？nǐwèishénmeméiláishàngkèWhy didn't you come to class?
More characters by topic — happiness, luck, strength, nature — on the page “Chinese characters with meanings”.
More words from the lesson “According to, and based on”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “by” in Chinese?
“By” in Chinese is 为, pinyin wéi.
What does 为 mean?
为 (wéi) means “by (为…所, lit.)”.
How do you write 为?
为 is 1 character. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 为?
为 is read wéi. Tones: wéi — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“by” in the lesson “According to, and based on”
This word is from the topic “Linking ideas” of HSK 5. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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