惟有 (wéi yǒu) — (formal) only; there is only

Definition

A formal/literary 'only' used in writing to single out the sole way or condition, as in 惟有…才能…. More literary than the common 只有.

verb
(formal) onlythere is only
Easily confused

Examples

  • 惟有，。
    wéi yǒu Nǔ lì, cái néng chéng gōng.
    Only through hard work can one succeed.
  • 惟有，。
    wéi yǒu Rú cǐ, fāng kě jiě jué zhè ge wèn tí.
    Only in this way can we solve this problem.
  • 惟有，。
    wéi yǒu Jiān chí dào dǐ, cái néng kàn dào xī wàng.
    Only by persevering to the end can one see hope.

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.

惟wéionly
有yǒuhave

惟 only and 有 have together mean there is only.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 惟 →

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 →

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