Dictionary › 唯

唯

wéi

HSK 5 Character

What 唯 means

1. only
2. alone
3. -ism (in Chinese, a prefix, often combined with a suffix such as {主义|zhǔ yì} or {论|lùn}, e.g. {唯理论|wéi lǐ lùn}, rationalism)

Other readings

唯 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• wěiyes

Example sentences

• 那是唯一的出路。
  Nàshi wéiyī de chūlù.
  It was the only way to go.
• 这是唯一的入口。
  This is the only way in.
• 死是唯一的解脱吗？
  Sǐ shì wéiyī de jiětuō ma?
  Is death the only way out?
• 这是我唯一关心的。
  That's my sole concern.
• 这是我唯一的相机。
  This is the only camera I've got.
• 这是你唯一的机会。
  This is your only chance.

Words starting with 唯

• 唯一wéi yīonly; sole
• 唯独wéi dúonly; just (i.e. it is only that...); all except
• 唯有wéi yǒuonly
• 唯恐wéi kǒngfor fear that; lest; also written 惟恐
• 唯物主义wéi wù zhǔ yìmaterialism, philosophical doctrine that physical matter is the whole of reality
• 唯心主义wéi xīn zhǔ yìphilosophy of idealism, the doctrine that external reality is a product of consciousness
• 唯唯诺诺wéi wéi nuò nuò(idiom) to be a yes-man
• 唯物wéi wùmaterialistic
• 唯美wéi měiaesthetics
• 唯读wéi dúread-only (computing)
• 唯象wéi xiàngphenomenological
• 唯心论wéi xīn lùnphilosophy of idealism, the doctrine that external reality is a product of consciousness
• 唯物论wéi wù lùn(philosophy) materialism
• 唯理论wéi lǐ lùn(philosophy) rationalism
• 唯识宗Wéi shí zōngYogachara school of Buddhism ("consciousness only" school of Buddhism)
• 唯利是图wéi lì shì tú(idiom) to be bent solely on profit; to put profit before everything else
• 唯命是从wéi mìng shì cóngto follow obediently
• 唯意志论wéi yì zhì lùnvoluntarism; metaphysical view, esp. due to Schopenhauer 叔本华
• 唯象理论wéi xiàng lǐ lùnphenomenology
• 唯饭wéi fànfan who only likes one particular member of a pop idol band
• 唯恐天下不乱wéi kǒng tiān xià bù luànto wish for the whole world to be in chaos (idiom)
• 唯粉wéi fěnfan who only likes one particular member of a pop idol band
• 唯二wéi èr(slang) (adjective) (of one thing) one of the only two; (of two things) the only two
• 唯一性wéi yī xìnguniqueness

Words containing 唯

• 毒唯dú wéifan of one particular member of a pop idol band who denigrates and defames the other…
• 任人唯亲rèn rén wéi qīn(idiom) to practice nepotism or cronyism in making appointments
• 若且唯若ruò qiě wéi ruòif and only if
• 客观唯心主义kè guān wéi xīn zhǔ yìobjective idealism (in Hegel's philosophy)
• 历史唯物主义lì shǐ wéi wù zhǔ yìhistorical materialism (Marx's theory of history)
• 辩证唯物主义biàn zhèng wéi wù zhǔ yìdialectical materialism
• 任人唯贤rèn rén wéi xiánto appoint people according to their merits (idiom)…
• 实践是检验真理的唯一标准shí jiàn shì jiǎn yàn zhēn lǐ de wéi yī biāo zhǔnActual practice is the sole criterion for judging truth…

Characters built on 隹

These share the phonetic component 隹 (zhuī), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 维wéito preserve; to maintain; to hold together
• 谁shéiwho; also pr. shuí
• 惟wéi-ism; only
• 帷wéicurtain; screen

Characters that look like 唯

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 喝hēto drink; variant of 嗬
• 啡fēi(used in loanwords for its phonetic value)
• 唱chàngto sing; to call loudly; to chant
• 喂wèihey; to feed (an animal, baby, invalid etc)
• 堆duīto pile up; to heap up; a mass
• 啼tí(bound form) to cry; to weep loudly; (bound form) (of a bird or animal) to crow; to hoot…

Sounds the same

Read wéi, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 为as (in the capacity of); to take sth as; to act as
• 围to encircle; to surround; all around
• 维to preserve; to maintain; to hold together
• 违to disobey; to violate; to separate
• 惟-ism; only
• 韦soft leather
• 闱door to women's room; gate to palace
• 圩dike
• 囗enclosure
• 桅mast
• 帷curtain; screen
• 帏curtain; women's apartment; tent