How to say “only” in Chinese
only (lit.)
“Only” in Chinese is 仅, jǐn: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
仅 is read jǐn. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “仅”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 仅. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 这仅仅是开始zhèjǐnjǐnshìkāishǐThis is only the beginning.
- 骑自行车不仅环保，而且对身体好。qízìxíngchēbùjǐnhuánbǎo,érqiěduìshēntǐhǎoBiking is not only eco-friendly but also good for your health.
- 少用塑料不仅环保而且能减少垃圾shǎoyòngsùliàobùjǐnhuánbǎo,érqiěnéngjiǎnshǎolājīUsing less plastic is not only eco-friendly but also cuts down on garbage.
More characters by topic — happiness, luck, strength, nature — on the page “Chinese characters with meanings”.
More words from the lesson “Total and only”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “only” in Chinese?
“Only” in Chinese is 仅, pinyin jǐn.
What does 仅 mean?
仅 (jǐn) means “only (lit.)”.
How do you write 仅?
仅 is 1 character. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 仅?
仅 is read jǐn. Tones: jǐn — third tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“only” in the lesson “Total and only”
This word is from the topic “Money and numbers” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
Start for free