-기 위해: In Order To — Written Purpose

-기 위해(서) is the in order to phrase with a written, careful feel.

Gloss: in order to — the written purpose. 우리말샘 위하다: to act toward a purpose — takes an object or -기. There is no mystical single ending -기위해; the classroom chunk is -기 위해 / -기 위해서 built on -기 + 위하다.

What it does — state the goal, then the means

You name the purpose first (as a nominalised verb or a noun goal), then the action that serves it.

건강을 위해 채소를 사요.
시험을 잘 보기 위해 복습해요.
비용을 줄이기 위해서 시장에 가요.
친구를 위해 케이크를 만들어요.

Food-unit talk:

신선하게 먹기 위해 당일 사요.
맛을 살리기 위해 간을 나중에 해요.

English “in order to / for the sake of” is close. Korean register is the real lesson: this phrase sounds more essay-like than casual -으려고.

Purpose toolkit — three neighbours

사려고 시장에 가요.           intention link
사기 위해 시장에 가요.         purpose phrase
사러 시장에 가요.             purpose of going

All can be true of a market trip. They are not interchangeable labels for the same habit.

Form traps

1. Past on the -기 piece — keep basic purpose untensed (사기 위해, not *샀기 위해 as your default).
2. Dropping 을/를 on noun goals (*건강 위해).
3. Using -기 위해 for every casual trying to when -으려고 / -려고 fits the conversation better.

위해 and 위해서 both appear; courses usually accept either.

When to use — and when to stay spoken

Use -기 위해 in writing, presentations, and careful explanations of goals.

Prefer -으려고 in everyday intention talk.

Prefer -으러 when the purpose is specifically going/coming to do X.

Practice rule: if the sentence could sit in a short written plan (“in order to…, we…”), -기 위해(서) earns its keep.