仅 meaning and stroke order
Barely; only; merely
How to write 仅, stroke by stroke
4 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 仅
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- barely
- only
- merely
How 仅 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 仅
A person 亻 standing next to 又 (yòu, a hand) holds out just one hand, offering only a little. Picture one person with one hand and think "only, merely."
仅 (jǐn) is a formal, written-style word for "only." It often appears in 仅仅 (jǐnjǐn) and in the pattern 不仅……而且…… (not only... but also...). Example: 他不仅会说中文，而且会写汉字。 (Tā bùjǐn huì shuō Zhōngwén, érqiě huì xiě Hànzì.) He can not only speak Chinese but also write characters.
Common mistake: Learners often say it with a fourth tone, mixing it up with 进 (jìn, to enter) or 近 (jìn, near). 仅 is third tone, jǐn. Also do not confuse it with 叹 (tàn), which has 口 on the left instead of 亻.
Common words with 仅
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 仅仅 | jǐnjǐn | barely; only | HSK 3 |
| 不仅 | bùjǐn | not just; not limited to; (as a correlative conjunction) not only (..., but also ...) | HSK 3 |
| 不仅仅 | bù jǐnjǐn | not only; not just | HSK 6 |
| 仅次于 | jǐn cì yú | second only to ...; ranking behind only ... | HSK 7-9 |
| 仅供 | jǐngōng | only for | |
| 仅此而已 | jǐncǐ'éryǐ | (idiom) that's all; just this and nothing more | |
| 仅存 | jǐncún | to be the only one(s) remaining; to be the only one(s) surviving | |
| 不仅如此 | bùjǐnrúcǐ | not only that, but ... | |
| 绝无仅有 | juéwújǐnyǒu | one and only (idiom); rarely seen; unique of its kind |
仅 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 仅
How many strokes are in 仅?
仅 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 仅 mean?
仅 (jǐn) means barely; only; merely. A common word with it is 仅仅 (jǐnjǐn), meaning "barely; only".
How do you pronounce 仅?
仅 is pronounced jǐn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 仅?
The radical of 仅 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 仅 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 仅?
The traditional form of 仅 is 僅. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 仅 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 仅 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 仅 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 仅 and 只?
Both mean "only," but 只 (zhǐ) is common in everyday speech, while 仅 sounds more formal and written. In conversation, 只 is usually the natural choice.
Can 仅 be used by itself before a number?
Yes. 仅 often comes before a number or amount to stress that it is small, as in 仅十分钟 (jǐn shí fēnzhōng), only ten minutes. This use is common in news and formal writing.