唯

唯 U+552F, 唯 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-552F ← 售 [U+552E] CJK Unified Ideographs 唰 → [U+5530]

Translingual

Han character

唯 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+8, 11 strokes, cangjie input 口人土 (ROG), four-corner 6001₄, composition ⿰口隹)

Derived characters

• 𣼲, 𪄼, 嶉, 蓶, 𬟢, 𧐌, 鷕, 雖

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 193, character 17
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3761
• Dae Jaweon: page 413, character 17
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 642, character 5
• Unihan data for U+552F

Chinese

simp. and trad.		唯

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (唯) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
匯	*ɢʷrɯːlʔ, *kʰʷriːl
擓	*kʰʷriːl
淮	*ɡʷriːl
睢	*qʰʷel, *sqʰʷil, *qʰʷi, *qʰʷils
嶉	*sqʷi
趡	*skʰʷilʔ
踓	*skʰʷilʔ, *ɢʷilʔ
雖	*sqʰʷi
濉	*sqʰʷi
倠	*qʰʷi
婎	*qʰʷil, *qʰʷils
蓶	*ɢʷi, *ɢʷiʔ
維	*ɢʷi
惟	*ɢʷi
唯	*ɢʷi, *ɢʷiʔ
濰	*ɢʷi
琟	*ɢʷil
鷕	*ɢʷiʔ, *ɢʷiʔ
帷	*ɢʷril
鵻	*sɢʷinʔ, *tjul

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷi, *ɢʷiʔ) : semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 隹.

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *way (“be, copula, nominalizer, subordinator”); cognate with Proto-Lolo-Burmese *wəy (“to be”) > Proto-Loloish *ʔ-way²/³ (> Luquan ve³³ ~ ve⁵⁵ ("subordinator, final particle"), Lahu ve (“nominalizer; relativizer; genitivizer”), Akha ø ~ ø̀ (“subordinator; citation-form marker; terminator of utterances in declarative mood”)), Mizo ve (“also, too, as well”), Jingpho we (“present tense particle”), and possibly Tibetan ཡིན (yin, “to be”) < *wi-n (with earlier w- disappearing before -i).(STEDT; Schuessler, 2007).

Related to 惠 (OC *ɢʷiːds) (Schuessler, 2007)

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wéi (wei²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wai⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): vì

  (Meixian, Guangdong): vi²

• Eastern Min (BUC): mì
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): ûi / bî

  (Teochew, Peng'im): rui⁶

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶vi

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wéi
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wéi
    • Wade–Giles: wei²
    • Yale: wéi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wei
    • Palladius: вэй (vɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: wai⁴
    • Yale: wàih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wai⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: wei⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: vì
    • Hakka Romanization System: viˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: vi²
    • Sinological IPA: /vi¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: vi²
    • Sinological IPA: /ʋi¹¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: mì
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ûi
    • Tâi-lô: uî
    • Phofsit Daibuun: uii
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ui¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ui²³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /ui²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bî
    • Tâi-lô: bî
    • Phofsit Daibuun: bii
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /bi¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /bi²³/
    • IPA (Taipei, Xiamen): /bi²⁴/

Note:

• ûi - literary;
• bî - vernacular.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: rui⁶
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: jŭi
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /d͡zui³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁶vi
    • MiniDict: vi^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³vi
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /vi²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: ywij

Rime
Character	唯
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	以 (36)
Final (韻)	脂 (16)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	以追切
Baxter	ywij
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/jiuɪ/
Pan Wuyun	/jʷi/
Shao Rongfen	/juɪ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/jwi/
Li Rong	/ui/
Wang Li	/jwi/
Bernard Karlgren	/wi/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wéi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wai4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ɢʷij/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɢʷi/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	唯
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wéi
Middle Chinese	‹ ywij ›
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷij/ (< *ɢʷuj?)
English	only
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	唯
Reading #	1/2
No.	12854
Phonetic component	唯
Rime group	脂
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	惟
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷi/
Notes	本象隹鳴，鷕即其轉註異構， 非隹聲

Definitions

唯

1. (alt. form 維／维, 惟) to be

   予惟小子 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

   From: The Book of Documents, circa 4^th – 3^rd century BCE

   yǔ wéi xiǎozǐ [Pinyin]

   I am a young person

   • 周雖舊邦，其命維新。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     周虽旧邦，其命维新。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhōu suī jiù bāng, qí mìng wéi xīn. [Pinyin]

     Though Zhou is an old state, its (heavenly) appointment is new.

2. (alt. form 維／维, 惟) An introductory particle marking noun phrases as the topic

   • 維天有漢。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     维天有汉。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Wéi tiān yǒu hàn. [Pinyin]

     In the sky there is the Milky Way.

   • 唯九月，王在宗周，命盂。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

     From: 大盂鼎銘文

     Wéi jiǔ yuè, wáng zài zōng zhōu, mìng yú. [Pinyin]

     In the ninth month, the King was in Zongzhou, and ordered this vessel.

3. (alt. form 惟) only; alone

   • 知進退存亡而不失其正者，其唯聖人乎！ [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     知进退存亡而不失其正者，其唯圣人乎！ [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE

     Zhī jìntuì cúnwáng ér bù shī qí zhèng zhě, qí wéi shèngrén hū! [Pinyin]

     He only is the sage who knows to advance and to retire, to maintain and to let perish; and that without ever acting incorrectly. Yes, he only is the sage!

4. (literary) because

   • 冀之既病，則亦唯君故。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     冀之既病，则亦唯君故。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Jì zhī jì bìng, zé yì wéi jūn gù. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 予唯不食嗟來之食，以至於斯也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     予唯不食嗟来之食，以至于斯也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Yǔ wéi bù shí jiē lái zhī shí, yǐ zhìyú sī yě. [Pinyin]

     It was because I would not eat "Poor man come here's" food, that I am come to this state

5. although
6. (literary) to allow (often used with 所)

   • 然臣有三劍，唯王所用，請先言而後試。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     然臣有三剑，唯王所用，请先言而后试。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Rán chén yǒu sān jiàn, wéi wáng suǒ yòng, qǐng xiān yán ér hòu shì. [Pinyin]

     Any length will suit me, but I have three swords, any one of which I will use, as may please your Majesty. Let me first tell you of them, and then go to the arena.

7. Particle for expressing one's wish.

   • 夫晉，何厭之有？既東封鄭，又欲肆其西封。不闕秦，焉取之？闕秦以利晉，唯君圖之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夫晋，何厌之有？既东封郑，又欲肆其西封。不阙秦，焉取之？阙秦以利晋，唯君图之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Fú Jìn, hé yàn zhī yǒu? Jì dōng fēng Zhèng, yòu yù sì qí xī fēng. Bù què Qín, yān qǔ zhī? Què qín yǐ lì Jìn, wéi jūn tú zhī. [Pinyin]

     How will Jin ever be satisfied? After it has extended its eastern boundaries and annexed Zheng, it will want to freely expand its western boundaries. If it does not carve away Qin, where will it get land? Carving away at Qin to benefit Jin: this is something your lordship should consider carefully.

8. (alt. form 維／维, 惟) Meaningless sentence-initial particle.

   • 子曰：「與其進也，不與其退也，唯何甚？人潔己以進，與其潔也，不保其往也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：「与其进也，不与其退也，唯何甚？人洁己以进，与其洁也，不保其往也。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

     Zǐyuē: “Yǔ qí jìn yě, bù yǔ qí tuì yě, wéi hé shèn? Rén jiéjǐ yǐ jìn, yǔ qí jié yě, bù bǎo qí wǎng yě.” [Pinyin]

     The Master said, "I admit people's approach to me without committing myself as to what they may do when they have retired; why must one be so severe? If a man purify himself to wait upon me, I receive him so purified, without guaranteeing his past conduct."

Compounds

• 任人唯親／任人唯亲 (rènrénwéiqīn)
• 任人唯賢／任人唯贤 (rènrénwéixián)
• 匪唯
• 唯一 (wéiyī)
• 唯利是圖／唯利是图 (wéilìshìtú)
• 唯利是從／唯利是从
• 唯利是求
• 唯利是視／唯利是视
• 唯名論／唯名论
• 唯吾獨尊／唯吾独尊
• 唯命是從／唯命是从 (wéimìngshìcóng)
• 唯命是聽／唯命是听 (wéimìngshìtīng)
• 唯妙唯肖
• 唯實論／唯实论
• 唯心 (wéixīn)
• 唯心論／唯心论 (wéixīnlùn)
• 唯恐 (wéikǒng)
• 唯恐不及
• 唯恐天下不亂／唯恐天下不乱 (wéi kǒng tiānxià bù luàn)
• 唯我
• 唯我獨尊／唯我独尊 (wéiwǒdúzūn)
• 唯我論／唯我论 (wéiwǒlùn)
• 唯是命題／唯是命题
• 唯有 (wéiyǒu)
• 唯物史觀／唯物史观 (wéiwù shǐguān)
• 唯物論／唯物论 (wéiwùlùn)
• 唯獨／唯独 (wéidú)
• 唯美 (wéiměi)
• 唯美主義／唯美主义 (wéiměi zhǔyì)
• 唯識／唯识
• 唯識宗／唯识宗
• 唯識論／唯识论
• 唯讀／唯读
• 奉命唯謹／奉命唯谨
• 成唯識論／成唯识论
• 萬法唯識／万法唯识

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (唯):

• → Vietnamese: duy (唯)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wéi, wěi

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˊ, ㄨㄟˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wai², wai⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wéi
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wéi
    • Wade–Giles: wei²
    • Yale: wéi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wei
    • Palladius: вэй (vɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯³⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Taiwan; variant in Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wěi
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wěi
    • Wade–Giles: wei³
    • Yale: wěi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: woei
    • Palladius: вэй (vɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: wai², wai⁵
    • Yale: wái, wáih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wai², wai⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: wei², wei⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯³⁵/, /wɐi̯¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: ywijX

Rime
Character	唯
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	以 (36)
Final (韻)	脂 (16)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	以水切
Baxter	ywijX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/jiuɪX/
Pan Wuyun	/jʷiX/
Shao Rongfen	/juɪX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/jwiX/
Li Rong	/uiX/
Wang Li	/jwiX/
Bernard Karlgren	/wiX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wěi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wai5

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɢʷiʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	唯
Reading #	2/2
No.	12858
Phonetic component	唯
Rime group	脂
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	唯
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷiʔ/

Definitions

唯

1. (obsolete) A polite particle used to respond to elders: yes

   • 子曰：「參乎！吾道一以貫之。」曾子曰：「唯。」子出。門人問曰：「何謂也？」曾子曰：「夫子之道，忠恕而已矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：「参乎！吾道一以贯之。」曾子曰：「唯。」子出。门人问曰：「何谓也？」曾子曰：「夫子之道，忠恕而已矣。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

     Zǐyuē: “Shēn hū! Wú dào yī yǐ guàn zhī.” Zēngzǐ yuē: “Wěi.” Zǐ chū. Ménrén wèn yuē: “Héwèi yě?” Zēngzǐ yuē: “Fūzǐ zhī dào, zhōngshù ér yǐ yǐ.” [Pinyin]

     The Master said, "Shen, my doctrine is that of an all-pervading unity." The disciple Zeng replied, "Yes." The Master went out, and the other disciples asked, saying, "What do his words mean?" Zeng said, "The doctrine of our master is to be true to the principles of our nature and the benevolent exercise of them to others, this and nothing more."

Compounds

• 唯唯 (wéiwéi)
• 唯唯否否
• 唯唯諾諾／唯唯诺诺 (wéiwéinuònuò)
• 唯諾／唯诺

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (唯):

• → Japanese: 唯(い) (i)

References

• “唯”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

唯

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: ゆい (yui, Jōyō)^{←ゆい (yui, historical)←ゆゐ (yuwi, ancient)}
• Kan-on: い (i, Jōyō ^†)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kun: ただ (tada, 唯)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
唯
ゆい Grade: S
goon

/juwi/ → /jui/

From Middle Chinese 唯 (MC ywij).

Affix

唯(ゆい) • (yui) 

1. only, solely

Usage notes

• Most dictionaries proscribe historical -uwi readings すゐ (suwi), ずゐ (zuwi), つゐ (tuwi), ゆゐ (yuwi), and るゐ (ruwi).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 唯(ゆい)一(いち) (yuīchi)
• 唯(ゆい)一(いつ) (yuītsu)
• 唯(ゆい)我(が)論(ろん) (yuigaron)
• 唯(ゆい)我(が)独(どく)尊(そん) (yuigadokuson)
• 唯(ゆい)識(しき) (yuishiki)
• 唯心(ゆいしん) (yuishin)
• 唯(ゆい)美(び) (yuibi)
• 唯物(ゆいぶつ) (yuibutsu)

Proper noun

唯(ゆい) • (Yui) 

1. a female given name
2. a surname

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
唯
い Grade: S
kan’on

/wi/ → /i/

From Middle Chinese 唯 (MC ywijX).

Interjection

唯(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. polite particle used to respond to elders: yes

   Synonym: はい (hai)

Derived terms

• 唯唯(いい), 唯々(いい) (ii)
  • 唯唯(いい)諾諾(だくだく), 唯々(いい)諾々(だくだく) (iidakudaku)

Affix

唯(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. polite particle used to respond to elders: yes

Derived terms

• 諾(だく)唯(い) (dakui)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
唯
ただ Grade: S
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 唯 – see the following entry.

【ただ】 [adverb] 唯, 只, 但: merely, commonly, simply, only [conjunction] 唯, 只, 但: but, however, although, except that Alternative spellings 只, 但

(This term, 唯, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
唯
たった Grade: S
irregular

For pronunciation and definitions of 唯 – see the following entry.

【たった】 [adverb] (usually with numbers) only [suffix] (Internet slang, humorous) Verb suffix for past actions.

(This term, 唯, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
唯
たんだ Grade: S
irregular

For pronunciation and definitions of 唯 – see the following entry: たんだ

(The following entry is uncreated: たんだ.)

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
唯
ない Grade: S
irregular

For pronunciation and definitions of 唯 – see the following entry: ない

(The following entry is uncreated: ない.)

Korean

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ju]
• Phonetic hangul: [유]

Hanja

Wikisource

唯 • (yu) (hangeul 유, revised yu, McCune–Reischauer yu)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

唯: Hán Việt readings: duy, dụy/duỵ
唯: Nôm readings: dạ, dói, dúi, duối, duy, giòe/gioè, giói

1. chữ Hán form of duy (“only”).
2. Nôm form of dạ (“A polite particle used to respond to people of higher statuses: yes”).

References

• Nom Foundation