Question 1

What does 只 mean in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

只 (zhǐ) as an adverb means 'only,' 'just,' or 'merely.' Place it directly before a verb to restrict what's done — 我只喝水 (Wǒ zhǐ hē shuǐ, 'I only drink water'). Two things differ from English 'only.' First, position matters: 只 sits before the verb, not before the noun it logically limits.

To say 'only I went,' you'd say 只有我去了 (Zhǐ yǒu wǒ qù le), using 只有. Second, 只 frequently pairs with 才 in patterns like 只有…才… ('only if/when … then …') to express necessary conditions. Note that the same character read in the first tone, 只 (zhī), is a completely different word — a measure word for animals and one item of a pair (一只猫, 一只手). HSK lists both meanings under the same character.

Question 2

How do you pronounce 只?

Accepted Answer

只 is pronounced zhǐ — 只 (zhǐ).

Question 3

Is 只 a noun, verb, or something else?

Accepted Answer

只 is a adverb, register: neutral. The adverb 只 (zhǐ) is read with a third tone and means 'only.' The same character read 只 (zhī) is a measure word for animals (cats, dogs, birds) and one of a pair (one hand, one shoe). Same character, different tones, different meanings — context tells you which.

Question 4

What's the difference between 只 and 只 (zhī)?

Accepted Answer

Same character, first tone — a measure word for most animals (一只狗, 一只鸟) and one of a pair (一只手, 一只鞋). 只 (zhǐ, 3rd tone) means 'only.' Context and tone tell them apart.

Question 5

What's the difference between 只 and 之?

Accepted Answer

之 is a classical particle similar to 的 (possessive/modifier marker), seen in fixed expressions like 之一 ('one of'). Visually similar to 只 but a completely different function word.

只

What does 只 mean?

Character breakdown

Example sentences

Common phrases with 只

Synonyms

Don't confuse 只 with

FAQ

Hear 只 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.