只 (zhǐ) - only & just

只Tone 3

zhǐ ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 口

丈志

只 · zhǐ

only;

just;

merely;

simply;

but;

measure word for birds and certain animals or for one of a pair

onlyjustmerely

Usage highlights

onlymerelyjustonly thenonly childone

Synonyms

  • 仅— only; merely
  • 唯— only; alone
  • 独— sole; only

Antonyms

  • 多— many; much
  • 全— whole; complete
  • 皆— all; every

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I only have one book (我只有一本书).
  • He is just a child (他只是个孩子).
  • There are only three people (只有三个人).
  • This is merely a suggestion (这只是一个建议).

Collocations

  • only(只有)
  • merely(只是)
  • just(只消)
  • only then(才只)
  • only child(独生子女)
  • one-sided(只言片语)

Idioms

  • Only then realize(只争朝夕)
  • Fragmented words and phrases(只言片语)
  • See only one spot(只见树木，不见森林)
  • Unique and unmatched(只此一家，别无分店)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally a pictograph of a bird with a short tail, later borrowed for its phonetic value.
  • Used as a restrictive adverb emphasizing limitation or exclusivity.
  • Commonly appears in classical Chinese literature as a measure word and adverb.

FAQ