Definition
唯独 (wéi dú) is an adverb meaning 'only, just' with a strong contrastive nuance — it singles out one person or thing as different from all others in a group. It is more emphatic and literary than 除了 (chú le), which is a preposition that can mean 'except' or 'besides' depending on context. Unlike 唯 (wéi) or 独 (dú) alone, 唯独 is always used to highlight an exception or unique case.
adverb
onlyjust (with contrastive nuance, singling out one as different from all others)except (as in 'with the sole exception of')
Easily confused
- 纬度wěi dùsound-alikelatitude
Examples
- ，唯独。Dàjiā dōu hěn kāixīn, wéi dú tā yì liǎn bù gāoxìng.Everyone was very happy; only he looked unhappy.
- ，唯独。Tā shénme dōu chī, wéi dú bù chī yángcōng.He eats everything except onions.
- 唯独？Wèishénme wéi dú nǐ chídào le?Why is it only you who is late?
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