English–Chinese
“only” in Chinese
How to say “only” in Chinese
“Only” in Chinese is 只 (zhǐ).
A small boundary closes around one chosen part and keeps everything beyond it outside the statement.
Example sentences with 只
他生病了，只能在家休息。tā shēng bìng le zhǐ néng zài jiā xiū xī
He is sick, so he can only rest at home.
Tips for using 只
- English speakers often use "just" for several meanings, but this word commonly narrows the action or situation rather than marking time or informality.
Other Chinese words for “only”
我才十岁。wǒ cái shí suì
I am only ten years old.
这事唯你知道。zhè shì wéi nǐ zhī dào
Only you know about this matter.
我只有两个选择。wǒ zhí yǒu liǎng gè xuǎn zé
I have only two choices.
他是我唯一的朋友。tā shì wǒ wéi yī de péng yǒu
He is my only friend.
他们都有手机，唯独我没有。tā men dōu yǒu shǒu jī wéi dú wǒ méi yǒu
They all have cell phones; I am the only one without one.