How to say “only” in Chinese
only, sole
“Only” in Chinese is 唯一, wéi yī: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
唯一 is read wéi yī: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On the left, 口 “mouth”; on the right, 隹 hints at the reading, as it also does in 维 wéi.
Before a measure word its tone changes: yí before a fourth tone, yì before the others. In numbers and dates it stays yī.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “唯一”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 唯一. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 两套房子唯一的区别是价格liǎngtàofángziwéiyīdeqūbiéshìjiàgéThe only difference between the two apartments is the price.
- 这是我唯一的机会zhèshìwǒwéiyīdejīhuìThis is my only chance.
More words from the lesson “Two similar options”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “only” in Chinese?
“Only” in Chinese is 唯一, pinyin wéiyī.
What does 唯一 mean?
唯一 (wéiyī) means “only, sole”.
How do you write 唯一?
唯一 is 2 characters: 唯 (wéi) — only, sole; 一 (yī) — one. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 唯一?
唯一 is read wéiyī. Tones: wéi — second tone, yī — first tone. The page has an audio recording.
“only” in the lesson “Two similar options”
This word is from the topic “The good and the bad” of HSK 5. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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