惟

wéi

忄 + 隹

Definitions

wéi (adverb) only

wéi (noun) -ism

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 隹 represents the sound. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

About

The character 惟 is a phono-semantic compound that pairs the semantic radical 忄 (heart/mind), indicating cognitive or emotional activities, with the phonetic 隹, a pictograph of a short-tailed bird. Its original meaning was 'to think' or 'ponder'. Later, it was borrowed for its sound to write the adverb or conjunction meaning 'only', 'alone', or 'but'. This borrowed use became dominant, and now 惟 is often interchangeable with 唯 in modern contexts.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze Mid Warring States (~300 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他惟独喜欢这本书。

Tā wéidú xǐhuān zhè běn shū.

He only likes this book.

我惟恐错过火车。

Wǒ wéikǒng cuòguò huǒchē.

I fear missing the train.

这是惟一的办法。

Zhè shì wéiyī de bànfǎ.

This is the only way.

她惟愿家人平安。

Tā wéiyuàn jiārén píng'ān.

She only wishes for her family's safety.

惟独他不同意这个计划。

Wéidú tā bù tóngyì zhège jìhuà.

Only he disagrees with this plan.

我惟恐他忘记重要的事情。

Wǒ wéikǒng tā wàngjì zhòngyào de shìqíng.

I am afraid that he might forget important things.

思惟方式影响决策。

Sīwéi fāngshì yǐngxiǎng juécè.

The way of thinking influences decision-making.

惟其如此，我们才需更加努力。

Wéi qí rúcǐ, wǒmen cái xū gèngjiā nǔlì.

Precisely because of this, we need to work harder.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 忄

Component: 隹

惟