How to Say “In Order To” in Chinese (为了)
为了 (wèile) marks the purpose of an action, “in order to” or “for the sake of.” Front the whole 为了 phrase: 为了健康，我每天跑步 (“for my health, I run every day”), with a noun (为了钱) or a verb phrase (为了学好中文) after it. When the purpose follows the main clause instead, it needs 是: 我这么做是为了帮你 (“I did this in order to help you”). Keep 为了 (a goal) apart from 因为 (a cause).
Why this trips learners up
为了 (wèile) is the word for purpose, and how to say “in order to” in Chinese comes down to one habit English speakers have to break: the 为了 phrase goes at the front. English trails the purpose (“he moved to Beijing to study Chinese”); Chinese leads with it. The frame is 为了 + Goal，Subject + Verb: 为了学好中文，她搬到了北京.
The goal after 为了 can be a noun or a whole verb phrase. With a noun it is “for the sake of”: 为了健康 (“for your health”), 为了孩子 (“for the children,” the person who benefits). With a verb phrase it is “in order to”: 为了省钱 (“in order to save money”), 为了赶上火车 (“in order to catch the train”). For a negative purpose, the 不 goes inside, right after 为了: 为了不迟到 (“so as not to be late”).
There is a second structure for when the purpose comes AFTER the main clause. Here you can’t just tack 为了 on the end the way English adds “to”; you need 是 first: Clause + 是 + 为了 + Goal. So 我这么做是为了帮你 (“I did all this in order to help you”), 他做兼职是为了多赚钱 (“he took a part-time job in order to earn a bit more”). The 是为了 slot answers “what was it for?”
The trap worth guarding against is 为了 versus 因为. They share the character 为 and both can follow 是, but they point in opposite directions. 为了 looks FORWARD to a goal you act toward (为了健康 = “for health”). 因为 looks BACK to a cause that made something happen (因为下雨 = “because it rained”). In the 是 frame that is 是为了 for the purpose and 是因为 for the reason. And a small spelling note: 为了 is a single word, so its 了 is not the change-of-state particle you know from elsewhere.
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
wèile 为了 Pattern jiànkāng 健康 Object wǒ 我 Subject měitiān 每天 Time pǎobù 跑步 Verb
For my health, I run every day. (为了 + the noun goal 健康, fronted before the subject.)
wèile 为了 Pattern xuéhǎo 学好 Verb zhōngwén 中文 Object tā 她 Subject bāndào 搬到 Verb le 了 Function word Běijīng 北京 Place
To learn Chinese well, she moved to Beijing. (为了 + a verb-phrase goal, 学好中文.)
wèile 为了 Pattern shěng 省 Verb qián 钱 Object wǒmen 我们 Subject juédìng 决定 Verb zìjǐ 自己 Adverb zuòfàn 做饭 Verb
To save money, we decided to cook for ourselves. (为了省钱 fronts the purpose.)
wèile 为了 Pattern gǎnshàng 赶上 Verb huǒchē 火车 Object tā 他 Subject pǎo 跑 Verb de 得 Function word hěn 很 Adverb kuài 快 Adjective
To catch the train, he ran very fast. (为了赶上火车, then the main clause with a 得 complement.)
wǒ 我 Subject xué 学 Verb kāichē 开车 Object shì 是 Verb wèile 为了 Pattern fāngbiàn 方便 Adjective
I’m learning to drive for convenience. (The 是为了 structure: the purpose follows the clause.)
tā 他 Subject zhème 这么 Adverb nǔlì 努力 Adjective shì 是 Verb wèile 为了 Pattern ràng 让 Verb jiārén 家人 Object guòshàng 过上 Verb hǎo rìzi 好日子 Object
He works this hard to give his family a good life. (是为了 + a verb phrase built on 让.)
wǒmen 我们 Subject tíqián 提前 Adverb chūfā 出发 Verb shì 是 Verb wèile 为了 Pattern bìkāi 避开 Verb dǔchē 堵车 Object
We set out early to avoid the traffic. (是为了避开堵车; the purpose follows the clause.)
wèile 为了 Pattern bù 不 Negation dǎrǎo 打扰 Verb biéren 别人 Object tā 他 Subject bǎ 把 Verb shǒujī 手机 Object tiáochéng 调成 Verb le 了 Function word jìngyīn 静音 Object
So as not to disturb others, he set his phone to silent. (Negative purpose: 为了不 + verb.)
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 为了 doesn’t trail a clause bare the way English “to” does. When the purpose comes after the main clause, you need 是: 他努力工作是为了买房子. Without 是, there is no way to attach the purpose. (Or front it: 为了买房子，他努力工作.)
Why it happens: 为了 is for a goal you’re aiming at, not a cause. Rain isn’t a purpose, it’s a reason, so “because it rained” is 因为下雨, never 为了下雨. Rule of thumb: 为了 looks forward to a goal, 因为 looks back to a cause.
Why it happens: For a negative purpose (“so as NOT to”), the 不 goes inside, right after 为了: 为了不迟到 (“so as not to be late”). Don’t negate 为了 itself; 不为了 is not how it works.
Compare & contrast
| 是为了 (purpose / goal) | 是因为 (cause / reason) | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 我学中文是为了工作。wǒ xué zhōngwén shì wèile gōngzuò. | 我学中文是因为喜欢。wǒ xué zhōngwén shì yīnwèi xǐhuan. | Same clause, opposite direction. 我学中文是为了工作 gives the goal (“I study Chinese in order to work”). 我学中文是因为喜欢 gives the reason (“I study Chinese because I like it”). 为了 for what you’re aiming at, 因为 for what set it off. |
| 他减肥是为了健康。tā jiǎnféi shì wèile jiànkāng. | 他减肥是因为医生的建议。tā jiǎnféi shì yīnwèi yīshēng de jiànyì. | 他减肥是为了健康 states the goal (“he’s slimming down for his health”). 他减肥是因为医生的建议 states the cause (“he’s slimming down because of the doctor’s advice”). One looks ahead, the other looks behind. |
Try it yourself
Say “To lose weight, she doesn’t eat sweets.” Use 为了 + Goal，Subject + Verb: 为了减肥，她不吃甜食。
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “In Order To” in Chinese (为了) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.