尤其 (yóuqí) — especially; particularly; in particular

尤其 (yóuqí)

尤其 is an adverb meaning "especially" or "in particular," used to highlight one specific element within a broader set as being more notable, extreme, or deserving of attention than the others.

Meanings

1. [adverb] especially; particularly; in particular (used to single out one specific item or aspect from a broader group, emphasizing it as the most notable member)

Usage Note

尤其 typically introduces the item being highlighted, which comes after it. The structure is often:

[general statement], 尤其 (是) + [highlighted item/clause]

The optional 是 after 尤其 makes the singling-out even more explicit.

Compare with 特别 (tèbié) and 格外 (géwài):

• 尤其 singles out one item within a set: "All X are good, but this one especially"
• 特别 is a general intensifier: "This is especially / very"
• 格外 means "beyond the usual baseline in this moment"

Example Sentences

他喜欢各种体育运动，尤其喜欢游泳。 Tā xǐhuān gè zhǒng tǐyù yùndòng, yóuqí xǐhuān yóuyǒng. He likes all kinds of sports, especially swimming.

北京的冬天很冷，尤其是在一月份。 Běijīng de dōngtiān hěn lěng, yóuqí shì zài yī yuèfèn. Beijing's winter is very cold, especially in January.

她对语言很感兴趣，尤其对中文和日文。 Tā duì yǔyán hěn gǎn xìngqù, yóuqí duì Zhōngwén hé Rìwén. She is very interested in languages, particularly Chinese and Japanese.

这道菜很好吃，尤其是那个汤，味道极好。 Zhè dào cài hěn hào chī, yóuqí shì nàge tāng, wèidào jí hǎo. This dish is very tasty, especially the soup, which has an outstanding flavor.

Collocations

Memory Hook

尤 on its own means "outstanding / especially," and 其 means "that / those." Together, 尤其 points at the one that stands out: "that outstanding one" in the group. It is the star that gets singled out from the rest.