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唯有 (wéi yǒu) — only; only if (introducing the sole condition or entity for an outcome)

Definition

唯有 is a written-form 'only' that often introduces a sole condition, paired with 才/方 to mean 'only by… can…'. Slightly more formal than 只有; use 唯独 to single out one exception.

onlyonly if (introducing the sole condition or entity for an outcome)

Examples

  • 唯有，。
    wéi yǒu Bú duàn xué xí, cái néng bú duàn jìn bù.
    Only by continuous learning can you keep making progress.
  • 唯有。
    wéi yǒu Tā cái néng jiě jué zhè ge wèn tí.
    Only he can solve this problem.
  • 唯有，。
    wéi yǒu Tuán jié yí zhì, wǒ men cái néng zhàn shèng kùn nan.
    Only by uniting as one can we overcome difficulties.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

唯wéionly
有yǒuhave

'唯' conveys only, and '有' conveys existence, together meaning only this exists or holds.

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 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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