只 zhǐ only
zhǐ (only) and zhī (measure word for animals) - 只有 zhǐyǒu, 一只猫 yì zhī māo
How to remember 只: 口 mouth + 八 eight = only. The dieting dad opens his mouth wide at the eight slices of pizza, but his wife lets him have only one.
Component breakdown
只 = 口 mouth + 八 eight
- 口 mouth
- 八 eight
The dieting dad opens his mouth wide at the eight slices of pizza, but his wife lets him have only one.
How it came to be
A mouth with two strokes falling away beneath it: breath let out and going no further. It was a small word ending a sentence, later borrowed to mean only.
How it is used
- Read zhǐ it means only / just before a verb - 我只要一个 (wǒ zhǐ yào yí ge) I only want one; frames 只要 (zhǐyào) so long as, 只有 (zhǐyǒu) only if.
- Read zhī it's the measure word for most animals and one of a pair - 一只猫 (yì zhī māo) a cat, 一只手 (yì zhī shǒu) one hand.
Characters built with 只
Words with 只
Example sentences
- 我有一只小狗。 Wǒ yǒu yī zhī xiǎogǒu.I've got a little dog.
- 它是一只鸟。 Tā shì yì zhī niǎo.That's a bird.
- 牛有两只角。 Niú yǒu liǎng zhī jiǎo.Cows have two horns.
- 作文只写了一段。 Zuòwén zhǐ xiěle yī duàn.Only one paragraph of the composition has been written.