尤其 is an adverb meaning 'especially' or 'particularly'. It emphasizes one element among several, highlighting that it stands out in degree, importance, or relevance. The character 尤 originally meant 'outstanding' or 'exceptional', while 其 functions as a demonstrative pronoun ('this', 'that') — together, they convey the sense of 'this one especially' or 'that one above all'. It typically appears mid-sentence before the emphasized noun, adjective, or clause, and is more formal than 很 or 特别 but less literary than 格外.

尤其 commonly follows comparative structures (e.g., 比…更…), contrasts (e.g., 不但…而且…), or lists to single out the most significant item. It’s frequently used in written Chinese and formal speech — for example, in explanations, descriptions of preferences, or observations about trends — but rarely in casual spoken exclamations. Learners should note it never modifies verbs directly (e.g., *尤其喜欢 is acceptable, but *他尤其吃饭 is ungrammatical).