Meaning of 唯一
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- only; sole
How to use 唯一
唯一 usually comes before a noun, often with 的, to say something is the only one of its kind. It can also stand after 是 as a predicate. Example: 他是我唯一的朋友。(Tā shì wǒ wéiyī de péngyou.) He is my only friend.
唯 (wéi) means "only" and has a mouth 口 on the left, like a voice saying "just this." Add 一 (yī), "one," and you get "only one," the sole thing.
Common mistake: Learners often write 唯 with the wrong left part, confusing it with 维 (wéi, as in 维持) or 准 (zhǔn). Remember that 唯 has 口 on the left. Also, the 一 here is read in its original first tone, yī, so do not change it to yí or yì.
唯一 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
唯 wéi · only · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
一 yī · one · 1 strokes
- 1
Related words
Words that share a character with 唯一.
| 一起 | yīqǐ | (in) the same place; together; in company (with) |
| 一样 | yīyàng | same; like |
| 一些 | yīxiē | some; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er |
| 一会儿 | yīhuìr | a moment; a while |
| 一半 | yībàn | half |
| 一边 | yībiān | one side; either side |
| 一点儿 | yīdiǎnr | erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3] |
| 一块儿 | yīkuàir | erhua variant of 一塊|一块[yi1 kuai4] |
| 一下儿 | yīxiàr | erhua form of 一下[yi1 xia4] |
| 有一些 | yǒuyīxiē | somewhat; rather |
| 一定 | yīdìng | surely; certainly; definitely; fixed; settled |
| 一直 | yīzhí | straight (in a straight line); continuously; always; all the way through |
Questions about 唯一
What does 唯一 mean?
唯一 (wéiyī) means "only; sole" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 唯一?
唯一 is made of 2 characters: 唯 (11 strokes), 一 (1 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 唯一 an HSK word?
Yes. 唯一 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 唯一 and 只有?
唯一 is an adjective that describes a noun, as in 唯一的办法 (the only way). 只有 is used before a noun or a clause to mean "only have" or "only if," as in 我只有一个问题 (I only have one question).
Can I use 唯一 without 的?
Yes, in some short or set phrases, such as 唯一选择 (the only choice) or 唯一途径 (the only path). In everyday speech, adding 的 before the noun is more common and always correct.