Meaning of 只能
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- can only
- obliged to do sth
- to have no other choice
How to use 只能
只能 goes before a verb to say this is the only option left, often with a feeling of having no choice. 下雨了，我们只能在家。 (Xià yǔ le, wǒmen zhǐ néng zài jiā.) It is raining, so we can only stay home.
只 (zhǐ) means "only" and 能 (néng) means "can," so 只能 is literally "only can." Picture a road with just one open lane: that is the only way you can go.
Common mistake: English speakers often put 只 after the verb, as in 我能只喝水, when the natural order is 我只能喝水 (wǒ zhǐ néng hē shuǐ). Also, 只 here is third tone (zhǐ), not first tone zhī as in the measure word 一只猫.
只能 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
只 zhǐ · only · 5 strokes
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- 2
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- 4
- 5
能 néng · can · 10 strokes
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- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 只能.
| 可能 | kěnéng | might (happen); possible |
| 只要 | zhǐyào | so long as; provided; if |
| 能够 | nénggòu | to be capable of; to be able to |
| 只是 | zhǐshì | merely; only; just; nothing but; simply |
| 只有 | zhǐyǒu | only have ...; there is only ...; (used in combination with 才[cai2]) it is only if ... (th |
| 才能 | cáinéng | talent; ability |
| 能力 | nénglì | capability; ability |
| 只好 | zhǐhǎo | to have no other option but to ...; to have to; to be forced to |
| 功能 | gōngnéng | function; capability |
| 能不能 | néng bu néng | |
| 能干 | nénggàn | capable; competent |
| 智能 | zhìnéng | intelligent; able |
Questions about 只能
What does 只能 mean?
只能 (zhǐ néng) means "can only; obliged to do sth".
How do you write 只能?
只能 is made of 2 characters: 只 (5 strokes), 能 (10 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 只能 an HSK word?
Yes. 只能 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 只能 and 只有?
只能 is followed by a verb and means you have no other choice, as in 只能走路 (can only walk). 只有 often means "only have" or sets a condition with 才, as in 只有努力才能成功 (only by working hard can you succeed).
How do I say "cannot only" or the negative form?
You usually say 不能只 (bù néng zhǐ), as in 你不能只吃肉 (Nǐ bù néng zhǐ chī ròu), "You can't eat only meat." Saying 只不能 sounds unnatural in most cases.