There are a number of different ways to express "only" in Chinese, but 只 (zhǐ) is the most basic one you need to learn first. It's an adverb, so it normally comes before verbs.

Structure

The adverb 只 (zhǐ) can come directly before a verb, or before an auxiliary verb like 会 (huì) or 能 (néng).

Examples

我只有一个哥哥。Wǒ zhǐ yǒu yī gè gēge.I only have one older brother.
我们只有十块钱。Wǒmen zhǐ yǒu shí kuài qián.We only have ten RMB.
我们公司只有两个员工。Wǒmen gōngsī zhǐ yǒu liǎng gè yuángōng.Our company only has two employees.
你只爱吃肉吗？Nǐ zhǐ ài chī ròu ma?Do you only like eating meat?
他们只会说英文。Tāmen zhǐ huì shuō Yīngwén.They can only speak English.
我只能说两句中文。Wǒ zhǐ néng shuō liǎng jù Zhōngwén.I can only say two sentences in Chinese.
你们只要咖啡吗？Nǐmen zhǐ yào kāfēi ma? Do you only want coffee?
我老婆只要一个孩子。Wǒ lǎopo zhǐ yào yī gè háizi.My wife only wants one child.
宝宝只会走，不会跑。Bǎobao zhǐ huì zǒu, bù huì pǎo.The baby can only walk. He can't run.
我只想跟你在一起。Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng gēn nǐ zài yīqǐ.I only want to be with you.

Structure

Examples

See Also

Sources and further reading

Books