只 meaning and stroke order
Only; merely; just
How to write 只, stroke by stroke
5 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
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- 5
Meaning of 只
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- only; merely; just
- variant of 只[zhi3]
- grain that has begun to ripen
- classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc
- variant of 隻|只[zhi1]
How 只 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Simple words 八 coming from the mouth 口.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 只
只 is a mouth 口 on top with 八 underneath, like a few simple words coming out of the mouth. Saying just a little gives you the meaning "only, merely."
As zhǐ, 只 goes before the verb to mean "only," and it appears in common words like 只是 (zhǐshì) and 只好 (zhǐhǎo). As zhī, it is a measure word for many animals, especially birds and cats, and for one of a pair. Example: 我只有一只猫。(Wǒ zhǐ yǒu yì zhī māo.) I only have one cat.
Common mistake: Learners often put 只 in the wrong place, as in 我吃只面条. It should go before the verb: 我只吃面条 (wǒ zhǐ chī miàntiáo). Also remember the tone change. "Only" is third tone zhǐ, but the measure word is first tone zhī.
Common words with 只
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 只要 | zhǐyào | so long as; provided; if | HSK 2 |
| 只能 | zhǐ néng | can only; obliged to do sth | HSK 2 |
| 只是 | zhǐshì | merely; only; just; nothing but; simply | HSK 3 |
| 只有 | zhǐyǒu | only have ...; there is only ...; (used in combination with 才[cai2]) it is only if ... (th | HSK 3 |
| 只好 | zhǐhǎo | to have no other option but to ...; to have to; to be forced to | HSK 3 |
| 只不过 | zhǐbùguò | only; merely; nothing but; no more than; it's just that ... | HSK 5 |
| 只见 | zhǐ jiàn | to see (the same thing) over and over again; to see, to one's surprise, (sth happen sudden | HSK 5 |
| 只管 | zhǐguǎn | solely engrossed in one thing; just (one thing, no need to worry about the rest) | HSK 6 |
| 船只 | chuánzhī | ship; boat | HSK 6 |
| 只顾 | zhǐgù | to focus solely on; to pay attention only to; to be preoccupied with | HSK 6 |
| 只得 | zhǐdé | to have no alternative but to; to be obliged to | HSK 6 |
| 只怕 | zhǐpà | I'm afraid that...; perhaps | |
| 只当 | zhǐdàng | (coll.) to take (sth) as …; to treat as …; to assume; to act as if …; Taiwan pr. [zhi3dang | |
| 只身 | zhīshēn | alone; by oneself |
只 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 只
Learning 只 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 只
How many strokes are in 只?
只 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 只 mean?
只 (zhǐ) means only; merely; just. A common word with it is 只要 (zhǐyào), meaning "so long as; provided; if".
How do you pronounce 只?
只 has more than one reading: zhǐ and zhī. The most common is zhǐ, said in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 只?
The radical of 只 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 只 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 只?
The traditional form of 只 is 祇, 秖, 衹 and 隻. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 只 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 只 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 只 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 只 and 才?
只 (zhǐ) simply limits something to "only." 才 (cái) often adds a feeling that the amount is small or that something happened later than expected. They also combine in the pattern 只有...才... (only if ... then ...).
Which animals use 只 as a measure word?
Use 只 (zhī) for birds, cats, chickens, rabbits, and many small or medium animals, as in 一只鸟 (yì zhī niǎo). It also counts one of a pair, such as 一只手 (yì zhī shǒu) or 一只鞋 (yì zhī xié). Dogs can take 只 or 条 (tiáo).