Japanese word

しか

Pronunciation

Romajishika

Meaning

  • particleonly

Example

私は水しか飲みません。watashi wa mizu shi ka no mi ma se n

I drink only water.

Illustration for しか (only)

More examples

忙しくて、昼はおにぎりしか食べられません。isoga shi ku te hiru wa o ni gi ri shi ka ta be ra re ma se n

I am busy, so I can only eat a rice ball for lunch.

Core concept

Sets a boundary around one person, thing, amount, or option and excludes everything beyond it.

Common phrases

  • 水しか飲まないmizu shi ka no ma na i

    drink only water

  • 一つしかないhito tsu shi ka na i

    there is only one

Similar words

だけdake: Marks a person, thing, amount, or option as the sole limit without requiring a negative predicate.
ばかりbakari: Marks a person, thing, or amount as the only one included and can suggest repetition or excess.

Definition in Japanese

示されたもの以外を含めず、それだけに限定する意を表す。shime sa re ta mo no i gai o fuku me zu so re da ke ni gen tei su ru i o arawa su

Word origin

The exact origin of しか (shika, "only") is uncertain; it is an old Japanese particle, and its modern restrictive use is normally paired with a negative predicate.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, しか (shika) appears in short statements such as これしかない (kore shika nai), presenting one available choice as the whole set.

Word lists with this word