CGG #72: Expressing Purpose (Part 1)
💎 Chinese Grammar Gems #72
Hello Mandarin Enthusiasts! 🌟
Let me guess. You know some Mandarin grammar. Maybe you’ve even studied sentence structures or memorized vocabulary lists. But when it’s time to actually use it, things get fuzzy.
You hesitate.
You’re not sure how to connect your ideas.
You wonder: Is this how a native speaker would actually say it?
And suddenly, that grammar you “knew” feels more like a guess than a skill.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not the only one. I’ve been there too, and so have many of the 150+ learners using my Pearls of Mandarin Worksheets each week to turn knowledge into real-life Mandarin.
Today’s Grammar Gem will help you clear up one of those tricky points: how to express purpose clearly and naturally in Mandarin.
And this weekend, I’ll show you how you can practice it (and so much more) with worksheets designed to help you move from knowing to using Mandarin.
💎 This Week’s Gem: Expressing Purpose (Part 1) 💎
In everyday conversation, we constantly explain our intentions behind actions. “I’m studying Chinese to travel to Beijing.” “She called early so she wouldn’t wake the baby.” “We left early to avoid traffic.”
These examples all express purpose (the goal or intention behind an action). This is different from expressing cause (the reason that led to an action). Compare “I study Chinese to travel” (purpose: my goal) versus “I study Chinese because I love languages” (cause: what motivated me to start).
When someone asks 为什么? (wèishénme?, why?), they might be asking about either cause or purpose. Today we’ll focus specifically on purpose expressions and how to explain what you’re trying to achieve or accomplish with your actions.
This builds on our previous exploration of purpose expressions in CGG #4, where we covered the fundamentals of 为了. It also complements our recent three-week series on cause and effect (CGG #69, CGG #70, and CGG #71), which focused on expressing why things happen. Today we’ll explore the essential patterns for expressing what you’re trying to achieve in everyday Chinese!
🎯 The Foundation: 为了 (wèile)
为了 (wèile) is your go-to word for expressing “in order to” or “for the sake of” in Mandarin. Think of 为了 as introducing the goal that motivates an action. It’s versatile, neutral in tone, and works in both casual conversation and formal writing.
为了 typically comes at the beginning of a sentence to introduce the purpose, followed by the action taken to achieve that goal. You can also place it after the subject as long as it comes before the main verb.
📚 Structure: 为了 + [Purpose], [Action]
Example
为了学好中文，我每天听播客。
为了 / 学好 / 中文，/ 我 / 每天 / 听 / 播客
Wèile xuéhǎo Zhōngwén, wǒ měitiān tīng bòkè.
In order to learn Chinese well, I listen to podcasts every day.
for / learn well / Chinese / I / every day / listen / podcasts
💡 Don’t confuse 为了 with 因为 (yīnwèi, because). 为了 introduces a goal (answers “for what?”), while 因为 gives a reason (answers “why?”). Also, the 了 here is part of 为了 and doesn’t indicate past tense.
🔗 Simple Connection with 来 (lái)
Chinese can link two actions with 来 (lái) to show that the first action serves the purpose of accomplishing the second. This 来 is different from the verb “to come.” Here it functions as a connector meaning “to” or “in order to.”
This pattern is especially common after verbs like 用 (yòng, “use”) when describing methods or tools used to achieve a goal. It’s casual and natural, perfect for everyday conversation.
📚 Structure: [Action 1] + 来 + [Action 2 (purpose)]
Example
他用手机应用来学中文。
他 / 用 / 手机 / 应用 / 来 / 学 / 中文
Tā yòng shǒujī yìngyòng lái xué Zhōngwén.
He uses smartphone apps to study Chinese.
he / use / smartphone / apps / to / study / Chinese
👍 Casual Purpose with 好 (hǎo)
In everyday Chinese, you can use 好 (hǎo) between two clauses to mean “so that.” The first clause describes an action, and 好 introduces the intended result or benefit. This pattern is extremely common in spoken Chinese when explaining why you do something or when giving instructions.
When the purpose involves a different person, you’ll often add 让 (ràng, “let”) after 好 to indicate “so that someone can...” This creates the very useful pattern 好让 (hǎo ràng).
📚 Structure: [Action], 好 (+ 让 + [Person]) + [Purpose]
Examples
Same subject:
我提前完成作业，好有时间休息。
我 / 提前 / 完成 / 作业，/ 好 / 有 / 时间 / 休息
Wǒ tíqián wánchéng zuòyè, hǎo yǒu shíjiān xiūxi.
I finish homework early so I can have time to rest.
I / early / finish / homework / so that / have / time / rest
Different subject:
请把门开着，好让客人进来。
请 / 把 / 门 / 开着，/ 好让 / 客人 / 进来
Qǐng bǎ mén kāizhe, hǎo ràng kèrén jìnlái.
Please keep the door open so guests can come in.
please / (object marker 把) / door / keep open / so that / guests / come in
❓ Emphasizing Intention using 为的是 (wèi de shì)
为的是 (wèi de shì) literally means “the reason is to...” This pattern states the action first, then explicitly explains the purpose with 为的是. It’s particularly useful when you want to clarify or emphasize intention, especially when answering an implied “why” question or when someone might be confused about your motives.
This pattern feels more emphatic than simply using 为了. While 为了 is straightforward and neutral, 为的是 adds a sense of “let me be clear about why I’m doing this.”
📚 Structure: [Action], 为的是 + [Purpose]
Example
他每天跑步，为的是保持健康。
他 / 每天 / 跑步，/ 为的是 / 保持 / 健康
Tā měitiān pǎobù, wèi de shì bǎochí jiànkāng.
He runs every day in order to stay healthy.
he / every day / run / the reason is / maintain / health
💡 Compare this with the 为了 version: 他为了保持健康每天跑步 (Tā wèile bǎochí jiànkāng měitiān pǎobù). Both express the same idea, but 为的是 puts the emphasis on clarifying the purpose after stating what he does.
🔄 Explaining Reasons with 之所以…是为了… (zhī suǒyǐ...shì wèile...)
This combined structure explicitly links a result with its purpose, meaning “the reason for [result] is in order to [purpose].” It’s particularly useful for directly answering “why” questions in formal speech or writing.
If you learned the cause-and-effect pattern 之所以…是因为… (zhī suǒyǐ... shì yīnwèi...) from our recent series (CGG #71), you’ll find this purpose version follows the exact same structure. The only difference is swapping 是因为 (is because) for 是为了 (is in order to). Where 之所以…是因为… explains what caused something to happen, 之所以…是为了… explains what you’re trying to achieve.
What makes 之所以 especially useful is that it lets you reverse the typical order of Chinese purpose expressions. Here’s the key difference:
Normal order: 为了 + [purpose], [action]
为了出国留学，我学英语。 → For studying abroad, I’m learning English.
Reversed order: 之所以 + [action] + 是为了 + [purpose]
我之所以学英语是为了出国留学。 → The reason I’m learning English is to study abroad.
This reversed structure is perfect when you want to emphasize what someone did first, then reveal their motivation. It’s especially useful when responding to questions like “Why did you do that” or when you want to make someone’s purpose crystal clear.
📚 Structure: [Subject] + 之所以 + [Outcome/Result], 是为了 + [Purpose]
Example
他之所以辞职，是为了专心创业。
他 / 之所以 / 辞职，/ 是为了 / 专心 / 创业
Tā zhī suǒyǐ cízhí, shì wèile zhuānxīn chuàngyè.
The reason he quit his job was to focus on starting a business.
he / the reason that / quit job / is for / focus on / start business
💡 This pattern emphasizes that the action (quitting) was purposeful, not accidental. It could also be expressed more simply as 他辞职是因为想创业 (Tā cízhí shì yīnwèi xiǎng chuàngyè, He quit because he wanted to start a business), but 之所以…是为了… adds formality and emphasis on the purposeful nature of the decision.
Curious about your Mandarin mastery?
How many words, characters, or chengyu can you recognize?
📝 Recap
Using 为了 (wèile): The go-to foundation pattern for expressing “in order to” or “for the sake of.” It’s versatile and neutral, working in both casual conversation and formal writing to introduce the goal that motivates an action.
Using 来 (lái): A simple connector that links two actions to show the first serves the purpose of accomplishing the second. Especially common after verbs like 用 (yòng) and perfect for casual, natural conversation.
Using 好 (hǎo): A casual way to express “so that” between two clauses in everyday spoken Chinese. When the purpose involves someone else, add 让 (ràng) to create 好让 (hǎo ràng) meaning “so that someone can...”
Using 为的是 (wèi de shì): An emphatic pattern meaning “the reason is to...” that clarifies or emphasizes intention after stating an action. More emphatic than 为了, it’s useful when you want to make your motives crystal clear.
Using 之所以...是为了... (zhī suǒyǐ...shì wèile...): A formal structure that reverses typical word order to emphasize the action first, then reveal the purpose. Perfect for answering “why” questions and adding formality while highlighting the purposeful nature of decisions.
⛏️ Practice Makes Perfect
Time to put these purpose expressions into action! Mastering these structures will help you clearly communicate your intentions and goals in Chinese. Remember, choosing the right structure depends on the context, whether you want to sound casual, emphatic, or formal. Try translating these sentences into Mandarin, paying attention to which purpose pattern fits best for each situation. Let’s practice!
🌱 Easy
My sister studies hard for good grades.
Please speak slowly so I can understand.
🌿 Intermediate
The doctor uses this new medicine to treat patients with heart disease.
To stay cool in summer, we installed air conditioning.
🌳 Advanced
The reason she moved to this city was to pursue better job opportunities.
Space tourists undergo months of specialized training in order to safely experience weightlessness and observe Earth from orbit.
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Happy learning,
Pierre 🐼