啻 (chì) - Only & merely

啻Tone 4

chì ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

啻 · chì

Only;

merely;

just;

limited to;

used in negative or interrogative contexts to indicate restriction.

Onlymerelyjust

Usage highlights

Not onlyNo less thanNot different fromNot merelyOnly thisFar more than

Synonyms

  • 仅— only; merely
  • 只— only; just
  • 但— only; but

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This is not merely a simple matter (不啻是一个简单的问题).
  • The loss is no less than a disaster (损失不啻为一场灾难).
  • He is no different from a thief (他不啻于一个小偷).
  • The benefit is not limited to economic gains (益处不啻于经济利益).

Collocations

  • Not only(不啻)
  • No less than(不啻于)
  • Not different from(不啻于)
  • Not merely(不啻)
  • Only this(何啻)
  • Far more than(奚啻)

Idioms

  • Not only this(不啻于此)
  • No different from(不啻天渊)
  • Far more than that(何啻天壤)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used in classical and formal written Chinese, often in negative constructions.
  • Carries a rhetorical emphasis, strengthening the limitation or comparison being made.
  • Rare in casual spoken modern Chinese but appears in literary and academic contexts.

FAQ