5 · Expressions (level 4)
Taking something as: yǐ … wéi …
the written frame of treating X as Y
Yǐ X wéi Y says that X is taken as, treated as or made into Y — a compact frame from written Chinese.
以 X 为 Y means “take X as Y”. 以 is the old word for “take, use”, and 为 the old word for “be, serve as”. Together they make a frame that says in four or five characters what English needs a clause for: 以米饭为主, “with rice as the main thing”, that is, mainly rice.
The frame lives on in a handful of very common endings, and these are worth learning as wholes: 以…为主, mainly; 以…为例, take … as an example; 以…为中心, centred on; 以…为荣, be proud of; 以…为目标, aim at; 以…为准, take as the standard.
The frame can be the predicate of a sentence (这里的菜以辣为主, the food here is mainly spicy) or open it (以这本书为例，…). Y is often a single character, which is part of what makes the frame sound written.
Two traps. First the tone: 为 here is second tone, the 为 of 成为, not the fourth-tone 为 of 为了. Second, 为 cannot be swapped for 是, even though it means “be”: the frame is fixed. And 以为, the same two characters side by side, is a different word: “to think”, usually wrongly.
The form
| mainly | 以…为主 |
| as an example | 以这本书为例，… |
| centred on | 以学生为中心 |
| proud of | 以你为荣 |
| the aim | 以健康为目标 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
The frame is yǐ, then X, then wéi, then Y: X is taken as Y.
这家店的菜以川菜为主。The dishes in this restaurant are mainly Sichuan food.
Wéi here has the second tone, as in chéngwéi — not the fourth tone of wèile.
以北京为例，冬天很干燥。Take Beijing: the winters are very dry.
Y is often a single character: zhǔ, lì, róng, zhǔn.
父母一直以她为荣。Her parents have always been proud of her.
Wéi cannot be replaced by shì, even though it means “be”.
我们的课以口语为主。Our classes focus mainly on speaking.
A closer look
Classical grammar in modern dress
Both halves of the frame are words of the classical language that have dropped out of ordinary speech on their own. They survive together because the frame is so compact: 以质量为本, five characters, says “quality is what we build everything on”. Notices, mission statements and reports love it for exactly that reason.
The same pair turns up inside four-character expressions, where it cannot be taken apart: 以身作则 uses 以 alone, “take oneself as the rule”, that is, set an example yourself. Recognising 以 as “take, use” makes many such expressions transparent.
How to spot it
- 以…为…
- 以…为主
- 以…为例
Example sentences
南方人的饮食以米饭为主。In the south, people’s diet is based mainly on rice.
以我自己为例，我每天只睡六个小时。Take me, for example: I sleep only six hours a night.
这所学校以学生为中心安排课程。This school plans its courses around the students.
他们以按时完成工作为目标。Their aim is to finish the work on time.
这次活动的参加者以年轻人为主。The people who took part in this event were mostly young.
我们要以他为榜样，好好学习。We should take him as our model and study hard.
8 more example sentences
这本词典以常用词为主。This dictionary covers mainly common words.
以上海为例，地铁几乎可以到任何地方。Take Shanghai: the underground can get you almost anywhere.
这家公司一直以质量为本。This company has always made quality its foundation.
他从小就以当医生为目标。Ever since he was a child he has set his sights on becoming a doctor.
这个地区的经济以农业为主。This region’s economy is mainly agricultural.
我们都以你为荣！We are all proud of you!
比赛结果以最后公布的为准。The official result is the one announced last.
这次旅行以放松为目的，不安排太多景点。This trip is meant for relaxing, so not too many sights are planned.
Worth knowing (2)
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Yǐwéi is another word
When 以 and 为 stand side by side with nothing between them, they form the verb 以为, “to think” — usually wrongly. 我以为你走了 implies that you have not left after all. In the frame, something always stands between the two characters.
我以为今天是星期五。I thought today was Friday.
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On signs: yǐ … wéi zhǔn
Shops and notices use 以…为准 to say which figure counts when two disagree. It is worth recognising, because it decides what you actually pay.
价格以收银台显示为准。The price shown at the till is the one that applies.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
为 in this frame does the work of “be”, so it is tempting to use the everyday word. But the frame is fixed: 是 cannot take its place — and 为 is read in the second tone.
Yǐ X wéi Y: take X as Y — and wéi has the second tone.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.