CGG #73: Expressing Purpose (Part 2)
💎 Chinese Grammar Gems #73
Hello Mandarin Enthusiasts! 🌟
Have you ever come across a sentence in Mandarin (maybe in an article, or a work email) and thought, “I sort of get it… but I could never write that myself”?
You’re not alone. A lot of us reach a point where basic grammar isn’t the problem anymore. It’s the more advanced patterns that trip us up. We might recognize them when we see them, but using them naturally? That’s a whole other challenge.
Today’s Grammar Gem is here to help with that.
We’re diving into the more formal side of expressing purpose in Mandarin: structures that show up in polished writing, official documents, and serious conversations. These are the kinds of patterns that can make your Mandarin sound more confident and refined… once you know how to use them.
And if you’re ready to practice, not just recognize these patterns, but really use them, the Pearls of Mandarin Worksheets are where it happens. Each weekend, I send translation and listening exercises designed to take these gems off the page and into your real-life Mandarin.
Let’s make that next leap together.
One quick question before we dive in, just so I can better tailor future content for you:
💎 This Week’s Gem: Expressing Purpose (Part 2) 💎
Last week in CGG #72, we explored the essential purpose patterns that form the backbone of everyday Chinese conversation: 为了, 来, 好, 为的是, and 之所以…是为了…. These patterns handle most situations where you need to explain your intentions or goals in casual speech.
Today we’re stepping up to the formal and advanced purpose structures you’ll encounter in written Chinese, professional contexts, and sophisticated speech. These patterns will elevate your Chinese from conversational to polished, helping you navigate business documents, academic texts, news articles, and formal presentations with confidence. Let’s dive into these sophisticated expressions!
⚠️ Avoiding Problems using 以免 / 免得 / 省得 (yǐmiǎn / miǎnde / shěngde)
When you want to express doing something to avoid a bad outcome, Chinese offers three main options that differ in formality and context. All mean “so as to avoid” or “lest,” but choosing the right one depends on your situation.
以免 (yǐmiǎn) is the most formal and appears in written warnings, official instructions, and careful explanations. 免得 (miǎnde) is colloquial and perfect for everyday conversation. 省得 (shěngde) is very casual and often implies “saving trouble” or “to avoid the hassle” — it’s what you’d use with close friends.
This connects to our discussion of negation in CGG #1, where we saw how Chinese expresses various forms of “don’t.” These purpose patterns help explain why you shouldn’t do something.
📚 Structure: [Action], 以免/免得/省得 + [Undesirable Outcome]
Examples
Formal (以免):
请带雨伞，以免被雨淋湿。
请 / 带 / 雨伞，/ 以免 / 被 / 雨 / 淋湿
Qǐng dài yǔsǎn, yǐmiǎn bèi yǔ línshī.
Please bring an umbrella to avoid getting soaked by rain.
please / bring / umbrella / lest / by / rain / get wet
Casual (免得):
早点睡觉，免得明天起不来。
早点 / 睡觉，/ 免得 / 明天 / 起 / 不来
Zǎodiǎn shuìjiào, miǎnde míngtiān qǐ bù lái.
Go to bed early so you won’t have trouble getting up tomorrow.
early / sleep / lest / tomorrow / get up / not able
Very casual (省得):
我打车去，省得找停车位。
我 / 打车 / 去，/ 省得 / 找 / 停车位
Wǒ dǎchē qù, shěngde zhǎo tíngchēwèi.
I’ll take a taxi so I don’t have to look for parking.
I / take taxi / go / to save trouble / look for / parking space
📝 Formal Purpose with 以便 (yǐbiàn)
For formal or written contexts, Chinese uses 以便 (yǐbiàn) meaning “so that” or “in order that.” This conjunction appears in official documents, business instructions, and polite formal speech. You’ll see this in contexts where 好 from Part 1 would be too casual.
The clause after 以便 often includes modal verbs like 能 (néng) or 可以 (kěyǐ) to indicate capability, creating phrases like 以便能够 (“so that [one] can”) or 以便可以 (“in order that [one] may”).
📚 Structure: [Action], 以便 + [Result/Purpose]
Example
我们提前准备材料，以便会议顺利进行。
我们 / 提前 / 准备 / 材料，/ 以便 / 会议 / 顺利 / 进行
Wǒmen tíqián zhǔnbèi cáiliào, yǐbiàn huìyì shùnlì jìnxíng.
We prepare materials in advance so that the meeting can proceed smoothly.
we / early / prepare / materials / so that / meeting / smoothly / proceed
🏛️ Ultra-Formal with 以 (yǐ)
In very formal or literary writing, 以便 can be shortened to just 以 (yǐ) with the same meaning of “so as to” or “in order to.” This classical usage appears in official announcements, academic papers, and literary texts where brevity and formality are valued.
以 directly precedes a verb phrase and creates an extremely concise, elegant expression of purpose. While 以便 is formal, 以 takes formality to the highest level. It’s the kind of language you’d see in government documents, legal texts, or classical-style writing.
📚 Structure: [Action], 以 + [Verb Phrase]
Example
他建立基金，以帮助贫困学生。
他 / 建立 / 基金，/ 以 / 帮助 / 贫困 / 学生
Tā jiànlì jījīn, yǐ bāngzhù pínkùn xuéshēng.
He established a fund to help underprivileged students.
he / establish / fund / to / help / impoverished / students
This could be expressed less formally as 他建立基金来帮助贫困学生 (Tā jiànlì jījīn lái bāngzhù pínkùn xuéshēng) using 来, or 他建立基金，以便帮助贫困学生 (Tā jiànlì jījīn, yǐbiàn bāngzhù pínkùn xuéshēng) using 以便, but 以 gives it the most formal, classical tone.
🤞 Hopeful Purpose using 以期 (yǐqī)
以期 (yǐqī) means “in hopes that” or “with the expectation that,” indicating an action done with hope of achieving a certain result. This formal phrase appears in reports, academic texts, and business contexts where the outcome is desired but not guaranteed.
Unlike 以便 which suggests a fairly certain result, 以期 acknowledges that you’re hoping for something that might or might not happen. It’s particularly common in contexts involving goals, improvements, or positive changes that require effort and time.
📚 Structure: [Action], 以期 + [Hoped-for Result]
Example
公司投资新设备，以期提高竞争力。
公司 / 投资 / 新 / 设备，/ 以期 / 提高 / 竞争力
Gōngsī tóuzī xīn shèbèi, yǐqī tígāo jìngzhēnglì.
The company invested in new equipment in hopes of improving competitiveness.
company / invest / new / equipment / in hopes of / improve / competitiveness
🛡️ For the Sake Of using 为…起见 (wèi...qǐjiàn)
为…起见 (wèi... qǐjiàn) means “for the sake of” and is used in consideration of particular interests, often related to safety, fairness, or precaution. This somewhat formal expression commonly appears in set phrases that you’ll hear in professional or careful contexts.
The most common uses include 为安全起见 (wèi ānquán qǐjiàn, for safety’s sake), 为保险起见 (wèi bǎoxiǎn qǐjiàn, to be on the safe side), and 为公平起见 (wèi gōngpíng qǐjiàn, in the interest of fairness).
📚 Structure: 为 + [Abstract Noun] + 起见, [Action]
Example
为保险起见，我们再检查一遍。
为 / 保险 / 起见，/ 我们 / 再 / 检查 / 一遍
Wèi bǎoxiǎn qǐjiàn, wǒmen zài jiǎnchá yí biàn.
To be on the safe side, let’s check it once more.
for / safety / sake / we / again / check / one time
🎓 Literary Expression with 为…而… (wèi...ér...)
The structure 为…而… (wèi... ér...) is a classical, literary way to express doing something for a certain goal. It appears in formal writing, slogans, mission statements, and expressive declarations of motivation, conveying purpose in a concise, emphatic way.
You’ll encounter this pattern in contexts that aim to inspire or make grand statements: think company mottos, political speeches, or passionate declarations. It has a dignity and weight that makes it perfect for expressing noble purposes or serious commitments.
📚 Structure: [Subject] + 为 + [Goal] + 而 + [Action]
Example
我们为和平而奋斗。
我们 / 为 / 和平 / 而 / 奋斗
Wǒmen wèi hépíng ér fèndòu.
We fight for peace.
we / for / peace / and (thus) / struggle
This could also be expressed as 我们为了和平而奋斗 (Wǒmen wèile hépíng ér fèndòu) or simply 我们为了和平奋斗 (Wǒmen wèile hépíng fèndòu), but 为…而… gives it a more literary, emphatic tone that you’d expect in formal declarations or inspiring statements.
📜 Official Intent using 旨在 (zhǐzài)
旨在 (zhǐzài) means “with the aim of” or “designed to” and appears in official contexts to state the purpose of actions, initiatives, policies, or programs. It’s the standard language for describing what organizations, projects, or formal efforts are trying to accomplish.
This is the pattern you’ll see in news reports about government policies, company announcements about new initiatives, academic papers describing research goals, and official statements explaining the purpose of various efforts.
📚 Structure: [Entity/Action] + 旨在 + [Purpose]
Example
这项政策旨在减少环境污染。
这 / 项 / 政策 / 旨在 / 减少 / 环境 / 污染
Zhè xiàng zhèngcè zhǐzài jiǎnshǎo huánjìng wūrǎn.
This policy aims to reduce environmental pollution.
this / (measure word) / policy / aims to / reduce / environmental / pollution
Curious about your Mandarin mastery?
How many words, characters, or chengyu can you recognize?
📝 Recap
Using 以免 / 免得 / 省得 (yǐmiǎn / miǎnde / shěngde): Three ways to express “so as to avoid” with different formality levels. 以免 (yǐmiǎn) is formal and written, 免得 (miǎnde) is conversational, and 省得 (shěngde) is very casual, often implying “to save the hassle.”
Using 以便 (yǐbiàn): A formal conjunction meaning “so that” or “in order that,” perfect for official documents and polite formal speech. Often paired with modal verbs like 能 (néng) or 可以 (kěyǐ).
Using 以 (yǐ): The ultra-formal, classical version of 以便 (yǐbiàn), used in government documents, legal texts, and literary writing for maximum brevity and elegance.
Using 以期 (yǐqī): Means “in hopes that” or “with the expectation that,” acknowledging that the desired outcome requires effort and isn’t guaranteed. Common in business and academic contexts.
Using 为...起见 (wèi...qǐjiàn): Means “for the sake of” and appears in set phrases like 为安全起见 (wèi ānquán qǐjiàn, “for safety’s sake”) when considering particular interests or taking precautions.
Using 为...而... (wèi...ér...): A classical, literary structure for expressing noble purposes or serious commitments. Perfect for company mottos, political speeches, and passionate declarations of motivation.
Using 旨在 (zhǐzài): The standard official language meaning “with the aim of” or “designed to,” used to state the purpose of policies, initiatives, or formal programs in news reports and official statements.
⛏️ Practice Makes Perfect
Time to put these purpose expressions into action! Mastering when to use formal patterns will make your Chinese sound much more natural and appropriate for different situations. Try translating these sentences into Mandarin and pay attention to the formality level and context: are you avoiding something, stating an official purpose, or expressing a hope? Let’s practice!
🌱 Easy
For safety’s sake, we drive slowly.
We study Chinese hard in hopes of being able to work in China in the future.
🌿 Intermediate
For environmental protection’s sake, this restaurant no longer uses plastic bags.
Eat more—it’s going to be a while before you fall asleep tonight, so this will keep you from getting hungry later.
🌳 Advanced
Ancient emperors built the Great Wall to resist foreign invasion.
This gene therapy research aims to provide new treatment options for patients with rare genetic diseases.
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That’s a wrap for today!
This weekend, look out for your PM Translation and PM Comprehension worksheets. They’ll give you the chance to apply what you’ve learned and keep improving your Mandarin skills.
Happy learning,
Pierre 🐼