唯我独尊 (wéi wǒ dú zūn) — (set phrase, verb-like) to consider oneself supreme; to be egocentric; to act as if one is the only authority

Definition

A fixed phrase meaning 'to consider oneself supreme' — only oneself is worthy of respect. Strongly negative: describes arrogance, not self-confidence.

verb
(set phrase, verb-like) to consider oneself supremeto be egocentricto act as if one is the only authority

Examples

  • 唯我独尊。
    Tā nà zhǒng wéi wǒ dú zūn de tài dù ràng tuán duì wú fǎ hé zuò.
    His attitude of considering himself supreme made it impossible for the team to cooperate.
  • 唯我独尊，。
    Guǎn lǐ zhě bù néng wéi wǒ dú zūn, bì xū tīng qǔ bù tóng yì jiàn.
    Managers cannot act as if they are the only authority; they must listen to different opinions.
  • 唯我独尊，。
    Zhè ge huáng dì wéi wǒ dú zūn, zuì zhōng dǎo zhì le guó jiā de shuāi bài.
    This emperor considered himself supreme, which eventually led to the decline of the country.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī唯wěi
Same sound today

The shape pairs 口 (mouth) with 隹, used for its sound. The evidence says this form originally wrote a word for a bird's cry and was later borrowed for abstract meanings.

Open 唯 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

The glyph 我 originally drew a trident-like weapon. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write the pronoun "I", so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 我 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獨; 独 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
蜀
蜀shǔ獨dú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 獨 pairs 犬 (dog) with 蜀, which gives the sound; the simplified 独 is a shorthand.

Open 独 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape combines 寸 (hand) and 酋 (wine), showing a hand offering a wine vessel to express respect; some forms show two hands instead.

Open 尊 →

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