How common it is
只有 appears often in everyday Chinese, so it is worth practicing early and reviewing often.
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Pronunciation focus
Say zhǐyǒu slowly first, then repeat it in a short phrase. Listen for the tone shape.
Usage note
只有这个词用来表示唯一性和限制性。例如，如果你想表达某人只能做一件事，就可以用只有。
zhǐyǒu zhè gè cí yòng lái biǎoshì yīngyún hé xiànzhi xìng. rúguǒ nǐ xiǎng xiǎo de bǎ měrén zhīnéng zuò yī shì, jiù kěyǐ yòng zhǐyǒu.
The word 只有 is used to express exclusivity and limitation. For example, if you want to say someone can only do one thing, you can use 只有.
Context note
只有常用于描述唯一性和限制性的情况，比如限定条件、选择范围等。
zhǐyǒu cháng yòng lái miáo shì yīngyún hé xiànzhi xìng qíngkuàng, rúkě kànding tiáojiàn, xuǎnzé fāngwèn děng.
只有 is often used to describe situations of exclusivity and limitation, such as conditions, choices, etc.
5 examples
只有你才能完成这项任务。
zhǐ yǒu nǐ cái néng wán chéng zhè xiàng rèn wu。
Only you can complete this task.
只有下雨天，他才不出门。
zhǐ yǒu xià yǔ tiān， tā cái bù chū mén。
He only stays indoors on rainy days.
只有妈妈知道我的秘密。
zhǐ yǒu mā ma zhī dào wǒ de mì mì。
Only my mom knows my secret.
只有努力学习才能取得好成绩。
zhǐ yǒu nǔ lì xué xí cái néng qǔ dé hǎo chéng jì。
Only by studying hard can you get good grades.
只有坚持到底，才能成功。
zhǐ yǒu jiān chí dào dǐ， cái néng chéng gōng。
Only by sticking to it can you succeed.
5 mini stories
小明只有在周末才去公园玩。他喜欢那里有各种各样的玩具。
xiǎo míng zhǐ yǒu zài zhōu mò cái qù gōng yuán wán。 tā xǐ huan nà lǐ yǒu gè zhǒng gè yàng de wán jù。
Xiaoming only goes to the park on weekends. He likes there are all kinds of toys.
妈妈说，只有每天吃蔬菜才能保持健康。所以小红每天都吃很多蔬菜。
mā ma shuō， zhǐ yǒu měi tiān chī shū cài cái néng bǎo chí jiàn kāng。 suǒ yǐ xiǎo hóng měi tiān dōu chī hěn duō shū cài。
Mom says that only by eating vegetables every day can you stay healthy. So Xiaohong eats a lot of vegetables every day.
爸爸只有在工作日才加班。他喜欢周末和家人一起玩。
bà ba zhǐ yǒu zài gōng zuò rì cái jiā bān。 tā xǐ huan zhōu mò hé jiā rén yì qǐ wán。
Dad only works overtime on weekdays. He likes to play with his family on weekends.
小华只有在图书馆才能专心学习。在家里，他总是被电视分散注意力。
xiǎo huá zhǐ yǒu zài tú shū guǎn cái néng zhuān xīn xué xí。 zài jiā lǐ， tā zǒng shì bèi diàn shì fēn sàn zhù yì lì。
Xiaohua can only concentrate on studying in the library. At home, he is always distracted by TV.
只有每天早上跑步，小李才能保持好身材。所以他每天都坚持早起跑。
zhǐ yǒu měi tiān zǎo shàng pǎo bù， xiǎo lǐ cái néng bǎo chí hǎo shēn cái。 suǒ yǐ tā měi tiān dōu jiān chí zǎo qǐ pǎo。
Only by running every morning can Xiao Li keep a good figure. So he gets up early every day to run.