為 means “do, act, for the sake of”

い · i

Also: change, make, benefit

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ため, なる, なす, する, たり

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

イ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 9 strokes

The story

Its oldest form is usually read as a hand leading an elephant: getting work done. 為 is doing: 行為 is an act, 無作為 is random, 為替 is currency exchange, read whole as かわせ, and ため, "for the sake of", is now almost always kana.

Used in 行為 (koui, act/deed), 為替 (kawase, currency exchange), and 無作為 (musakui, random)

More from Formal Words

• 致 bring about
• 是 right
• 須 must
• 殊 especially
• 尚 still
• 那 that
• 該 the said
• 弥 more and more
• 如 like
• 宜 fitting
• 猶 delay
• 又 again

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.