Mnemonic
A mouth opens to speak, but a lone bird lands right on the lip and sings instead. Solely this bird's voice is heard — no human words escape, just one pure, unwavering melody pouring from that tiny creature perched on the mouth.
Additional thoughts
Picture the bird physically blocking the mouth so nothing else can come out — only (solely) the bird's song. The exclusivity of one voice replacing another reinforces the 'nothing but' meaning.Quick recall
A mouth is silenced because a single bird perched on it is solely the voice that sings.Details
The keyword for 唯 is solely. This kanji conveys the sense of "only," "merely," or "nothing but," emphasizing exclusivity or singularity. It points to something being the one and only, without any alternatives or additions. In classical contexts, it also appears as a respectful response meaning "yes," indicating complete and undivided agreement.
- On'yomi
- ゆい、い
- Kun'yomi
- ただ