Dictionary › 只

只

zhǐ

HSK 3 Character

What 只 means

1. only; merely; just

Other readings

只 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• zhīgrain that has begun to ripen
• zhīclassifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc
• zhǐvariant of {只|zhǐ}
• zhǐvariant of {只|zhǐ}
• zhīvariant of {只|zhī}

Example sentences

• 我有两只猫
  Wǒ yǒu liǎng zhī māo
  I have two cats.
• 只要十元！
  It only costs $10.00!
• 他只是哭。
  He did nothing but cry.
• 几只苹果？
  How many apples are there?
• 只要说不。
  Just say no.
• 我只吃肉。
  I only eat meat.

Words starting with 只

• 只是zhǐ shìmerely; only; just; nothing but; simply; but; however
• 只有zhǐ yǒuonly have ...; there is only ...…
• 只要zhǐ yàoso long as; provided; if
• 只能zhǐ néngcan only; obliged to do sth; to have no other choice
• 只好zhǐ hǎoto have no other option but to ...; to have to; to be forced to
• 只见zhǐ jiànto see (the same thing) over and over again; to see, to one's surprise…
• 只不过zhǐ bu guòonly; merely; nothing but; no more than; it's just that ...
• 只得zhǐ déto have no alternative but to; to be obliged to
• 只怕zhǐ pàI'm afraid that...; perhaps; maybe
• 只管zhǐ guǎnsolely engrossed in one thing; just (one thing, no need to worry about the rest); simply
• 只顾zhǐ gùto focus solely on; to pay attention only to; to be preoccupied with
• 只身zhī shēnalone; by oneself
• 只消zhǐ xiāoto only need; it only takes
• 只言片语zhī yán piàn yǔ(idiom) just a word or two; a few isolated phrases
• 只字不提zhī zì bù tí(idiom) to say not a single word about it
• 只当zhǐ dàng(colloquial) to take (sth) as …; to treat as …; to assume; to act as if ……
• 只说不做zhǐ shuō bù zuòto be all talk and no action
• 只限于zhǐ xiàn yúto be limited to
• 只读zhǐ dú(computing) read-only
• 只鸡斗酒zhī jī dǒu jiǔlit. a chicken and a bottle of wine (idiom); fig. ready to make an offering to the…
• 只欠东风zhǐ qiàn dōng fēngall we need is an east wind (idiom); lacking only one tiny crucial item
• 只争朝夕zhǐ zhēng zhāo xī(idiom) to seize every minute; to make the best use of one's time
• 只可意会，不可言传zhǐ kě yì huì , bù kě yán chuáncan be understood, but not described (idiom, from Zhuangzi 庄子
• 只知其一，不知其二zhǐ zhī qí yī , bù zhī qí èrto know the first, but not know the second (idiom); only partial information

Words containing 只

• 不只bù zhǐnot only; not merely
• 船只chuán zhīship; boat; vessel
• 大只dà zhībig
• 形单影只xíng dān yǐng zhī(idiom) lonely soul; solitary
• 独具只眼dú jù zhī yǎnto see what others fail to see (idiom); to have exceptional insight
• 牛只niú zhīcow; cattle
• 斗酒只鸡dǒu jiǔ zhī jīlit. a chicken and a bottle of wine (idiom); fig. ready to make an offering to the…
• 孤身只影gū shēn zhī yǐnglit. a lonely body with only a shadow for company; to be all alone (idiom)
• 舰只jiàn zhīwarship
• 猫只māo zhī(formal) cat (used in official documents, news reports etc)
• 脚踏两只船jiǎo tà liǎng zhī chuánto have a foot in both camps; to have a bet each way; to be having an affair
• 睁只眼闭只眼zhēng zhī yǎn bì zhī yǎnto turn a blind eye
• 犬只quǎn zhī(formal) dog (used in official documents, news reports etc)
• 三只手sān zhī shǒupickpocket
• 跳一只脚tiào yī zhī jiǎoto hop on one leg
• 可擦除可编程只读存储器kě cā chú kě biān chéng zhǐ dú cún chǔ qìEPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory)
• 不怕官，只怕管bù pà guān , zhǐ pà guǎnlit. it is not an official to be feared, but a person in direct control over sb…
• 不怕不识货，只怕货比货bù pà bù shí huò , zhǐ pà huò bǐ huòlit. don't worry about not knowing goods, but about comparing them (proverb)…
• 天下无难事，只怕有心人tiān xià wú nán shì , zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén(lit.) there is nothing the determined person can't accomplish (idiom)…
• 睁一只眼闭一只眼zhēng yī zhī yǎn bì yī zhī yǎnto turn a blind eye
• 万事俱备，只欠东风wàn shì jù bèi , zhǐ qiàn dōng fēnglit. everything is ready, all we need is an east wind (idiom)…
• 别具只眼bié jù zhī yǎnsee 独具只眼
• 脚踩两只船jiǎo cǎi liǎng zhī chuánsee 脚踏两只船
• 世上无难事，只怕有心人shì shàng wú nán shì , zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rénsee 天下無難事，天下无难事，只怕有心人

Sounds the same

Read zhǐ, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 指finger; to point at or to; to indicate or refer to
• 纸paper; classifier for documents, letters etc
• 止to stop; to prohibit; until
• 址(bound form) site; location
• 旨imperial decree; purport; aim
• 徵4th note in the ancient Chinese pentatonic scale 五音
• 芷angelica (type of iris); plant root used in TCM
• 趾toe
• 酯ester
• 祉felicity
• 咫8 in. length unit of Zhou dynasty
• 枳(orange); hedge thorn