Chinese learning

Daily learning flow

Usage note

用来表示唯一的情况。比如,你可以说‘我喜欢吃苹果’,意思是除了苹果,其他水果都不喜欢。

zhǐ lái bǎo shí yìng wéi yī qíng kuàng 。rú guǒ , nǐ kěyǐ shuō ‘ wǒ zhǐ xǐ huān chī píngguǒ ’ , yìshì qǐlái , lùcháng píngguǒ , qíqítóu , qítā wūguǒ dōu bù xǐhuān 。

只 is used to indicate a unique situation. For example, you can say '我只喜欢吃苹果', meaning that among all fruits, you only like apples.

Context note

常见于描述唯一性的情况,如饮食习惯、数量限定等。

zhǐ cháng jìn míng huì yú miáo huì yí yún xíng de qíngkuàng , rú róng yín shí guànxiàn 、 shùliàng xiàduì děng 。

只 is commonly used to describe unique situations, such as dietary habits or quantity limits.

5 examples

喜欢吃苹果。
wǒ zhī xǐ huan chī píng guǒ。
I only like apples.
有一本书。
tā zhǐ yǒu yì běn shū。
He only has one book.
是一次尝试。
zhè zhǐ shì yí cì cháng shì。
This is just a try.
能选择一个。
nǐ zhǐ néng xuǎn zé yí gè。
You can only choose one.
有一辆车可以使用。
zhǐ yǒu yí liàng chē kě yǐ shǐ yòng。
Only one car can be used.

5 mini stories

小明喜欢吃苹果,其他水果都不喜欢。
xiǎo míng zhī xǐ huan chī píng guǒ, qí tā shuǐ guǒ dōu bù xǐ huan。
Xiaoming only likes apples, he doesn't like other fruits.
妈妈说能吃一个苹果。
mā ma shuō zhǐ néng chī yí gè píng guǒ。
Mom says you can only eat one apple.
有一本字典可以借给你。
zhǐ yǒu yì běn zì diǎn kě yǐ jiè gěi nǐ。
Only one dictionary can be lent to you.
是一次尝试,不是最终决定。
zhè zhǐ shì yí cì cháng shì, bú shì zuì zhōng jué dìng。
This is just a try, not the final decision.
有一辆车可以使用,其他车都坏了。
zhǐ yǒu yí liàng chē kě yǐ shǐ yòng, qí tā chē dōu huài le。
Only one car can be used, all others are broken.

Mini dialogue

做作业

A
你做完作业了吗?
Nǐ zuò wán zuòyè le ma?
Have you finished your homework?
B
做了一点,还有很多。
Wǒ zhǐ zuò le yīdiǎn, hái yǒu hěn duō.
I only did a little, there is still a lot.

吃早饭

A
你早上吃了什么?
Nǐ zǎoshang chī le shénme?
What did you eat this morning?
B
喝了一杯牛奶。
Wǒ zhǐ hē le yī bēi niúnǎi.
I only drank a glass of milk.

Related words and contrasts

similar
仅仅
jǐn jǐn
merely, only

只 and 仅仅 both mean only. 只 is shorter and more common in daily speech.

Explore more words