About
惟 is a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic radical 忄 (heart/mind), which signals mental or emotional processes, with the phonetic component 隹 (short-tailed bird). Its original meaning related to the heart radical, denoting the act of thinking or considering. Later, it was frequently borrowed as a phonetic loan to function as an adverb or conjunction meaning "only", "alone", or "but". This grammatical usage became predominant, and in modern Chinese it is often interchangeable with 唯.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他惟独喜欢这本书。
我惟恐错过火车。
这是惟一的办法。
她惟愿家人平安。
惟独他不同意这个计划。
我惟恐他忘记重要的事情。
思惟方式影响决策。
惟其如此，我们才需更加努力。