B1 · Grammar reference · ASG68RBX

Expressing "for" with "wei"

When you work for a company or do other sorts of physical (and even mental) activities for another party, you're likely to use the Chinese preposition 为 (wèi). This character is often translated into English as "for," but is sometimes unnatural or unnecessary, depending on the particular phrase. For example, the super common Mao-era phrase, 为人民服务 (wèi rénmín fúwù), "serve the people," doesn't need the word "for" in English.