<p>致友 致友人 致好友 致故友 致新友 致挚友 致益友 etc.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-24T22:00:13.383Z
So you would suggest 致 in the sense of "devoted to" my friend? Am I understanding that correctly? Sorry, my mandarin (especially written) is very poor.
EWC
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-30T19:21:56.687Z
yes, 致 means "devote to; extend to; deliver to; give to" and used quite often in poems.
孤影萍踪
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-24T21:55:23.350Z
2015-11-24T21:55:23.350Z
孤影萍踪
<p>"致"is often used in the beginning of the letter.
"献给"is a more formal way of "给".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-25T18:14:43.187Z
Thanks! Interesting, I was getting the impression that 给 was more formal. Would you say that 给 is perhaps more poetic, whereas 献给 is more formal in the sense that it is mostly used for literary dedications, etc.? Or am I just interpreting things incorrectly?
EWC
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-25T20:59:39.560Z
Beethoven's piano music to Alice，we Chinese translate it to"献给"
Give me a chocolate,this is absolutely translated into"给"，nobody will use " 献给"，or folks will think what's wrong with you.
while"give flowers to girls or something like that",it could be used"献给"
so "给"is often used in oral Chinese and daily life,sometimes in formal way,while "献给"is usually more formal or poetic
user148874
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-01T00:52:41.007Z
I see. Thank you! I got confused and used the wrong character in my comment above, so it doesn't really make sense, but your explanation is helpful.
EWC
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-01T02:20:23.800Z
Glad to help you
user148874
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-16T21:53:40.253Z
To add some more information to this old thread. I found page 154 in *Chinese PhD Thesis Acknowledgements* by Hua Peng quite useful.
"獻給" appears to be a common choice for writing a dedication: 本文是獻給父母親的。

Link: https://books.google.at/books?id=eDwsA6f-Lj8C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA154#v=onepage&q&f=false
Paul
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-25T05:51:32.963Z
2015-11-25T05:51:32.963Z
user148874
<p>I'm wondering how to write a dedication (in a book or on a memorial, for example). In English I would inscribe "For my friend." I like the somewhat ambiguous and all-encompassing meaning of this English phrase, as it can mean "I wrote this for my friend" or "I made this for my friend" or "This is to honor my friend" and so on.</p>

<p>Would "为我的朋友" fit this meaning? Would "给我的朋友" be better? Is there an idiomatic phrase or different translation that would be better? Or would I have to lose the ambiguity and translate it more specifically?</p>

<p>I understand that 为 is primarily used to mean "for the sake of," which is sort of the meaning, but "For my friend" also has the meaning of giving something or dedicating something to someone.</p>

<p>EDIT: Based on the comments/answer supplied and further research, my understanding is that there are two ways to write this (neither of which were included in my original question).</p>

<p>献给 seems to have more of a "dedicated to" connotation, while 致 is a more formal/poetic way of devoting or addressing something to someone. Can a native speaker confirm if I am understanding this correctly?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-24T21:46:52.793Z
献给,s.e.g.
 Stephen King, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, 斯蒂芬·金：肖申克的救赎,For Russ And Florence Dorr->  献给拉斯和弗洛伦斯·多尔 (this is online, s.http://www.ty2016.net/horror/)
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-24T22:03:01.057Z
So you are saying that this translation of The Shawshank Redemption uses "献给" in this case, meaning "Dedicated to...", correct?
EWC
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-24T22:08:44.593Z
original (unfortunately not online) is as quoted above (also English title is exactly as above), S.King apparently has such a dedication at the start of each of his novels or short stories.
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-25T00:35:34.147Z
look up iciba ＂dedicate＂ VERB 把(书、戏剧、音乐作品等)献（给），user: 致 more formal
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-29T20:39:25.110Z
"the" missing? 畅销书"Stephen King, Different Seasons" 包含四本小说并依照扉页包括＂Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption"，可是目录这样说：＂Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption＂，而小说的第一页同样写着＂Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption＂
user6065
<translation><word-choice><phrase>
Would you use 为 or 给 (or neither) as a dedication?
# Would you use 为 or 给 (or neither) as a dedication?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-11-24)

I'm wondering how to write a dedication (in a book or on a memorial, for example). In English I would inscribe "For my friend." I like the somewhat ambiguous and all-encompassing meaning of this English phrase, as it can mean "I wrote this for my friend" or "I made this for my friend" or "This is to honor my friend" and so on.

Would "为我的朋友" fit this meaning? Would "给我的朋友" be better? Is there an idiomatic phrase or different translation that would be better? Or would I have to lose the ambiguity and translate it more specifically?

I understand that 为 is primarily used to mean "for the sake of," which is sort of the meaning, but "For my friend" also has the meaning of giving something or dedicating something to someone.

EDIT: Based on the comments/answer supplied and further research, my understanding is that there are two ways to write this (neither of which were included in my original question).

献给 seems to have more of a "dedicated to" connotation, while 致 is a more formal/poetic way of devoting or addressing something to someone. Can a native speaker confirm if I am understanding this correctly?

**Tags:** translation, word-choice, phrase

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 献给,s.e.g.  Stephen King, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, 斯蒂芬·金：肖申克的救赎,For Russ And Florence Dorr->  献给拉斯和弗洛伦斯·多尔 (this is online, s.http://www.ty2016.net/horror/)  
> **username_0**: So you are saying that this translation of The Shawshank Redemption uses "献给" in this case, meaning "Dedicated to...", correct?  
> **username_1**: original (unfortunately not online) is as quoted above (also English title is exactly as above), S.King apparently has such a dedication at the start of each of his novels or short stories.  
> **username_1**: look up iciba ＂dedicate＂ VERB 把(书、戏剧、音乐作品等)献（给），user: 致 more formal  
> **username_1**: "the" missing? 畅销书"Stephen King, Different Seasons" 包含四本小说并依照扉页包括＂Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption"，可是目录这样说：＂Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption＂，而小说的第一页同样写着＂Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption＂  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-11-24. Score: -1 | Accepted answer

致友 致友人 致好友 致故友 致新友 致挚友 致益友 etc.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So you would suggest 致 in the sense of "devoted to" my friend? Am I understanding that correctly? Sorry, my mandarin (especially written) is very poor.  
> **username_2**: yes, 致 means "devote to; extend to; deliver to; give to" and used quite often in poems.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-11-25. Score: 1

"致"is often used in the beginning of the letter.
"献给"is a more formal way of "给".

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks! Interesting, I was getting the impression that 给 was more formal. Would you say that 给 is perhaps more poetic, whereas 献给 is more formal in the sense that it is mostly used for literary dedications, etc.? Or am I just interpreting things incorrectly?  
> **username_3**: Beethoven's piano music to Alice，we Chinese translate it to"献给" Give me a chocolate,this is absolutely translated into"给"，nobody will use " 献给"，or folks will think what's wrong with you. while"give flowers to girls or something like that",it could be used"献给" so "给"is often used in oral Chinese and daily life,sometimes in formal way,while "献给"is usually more formal or poetic  
> **username_0**: I see. Thank you! I got confused and used the wrong character in my comment above, so it doesn't really make sense, but your explanation is helpful.  
> **username_3**: Glad to help you  
> **username_4**: To add some more information to this old thread. I found page 154 in *Chinese PhD Thesis Acknowledgements* by Hua Peng quite useful. "獻給" appears to be a common choice for writing a dedication: 本文是獻給父母親的。  Link: https://books.google.at/books?id=eDwsA6f-Lj8C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA154#v=onepage&q&f=false  

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