How to say “can only” in Chinese
can only; have no choice but
“Can only” in Chinese is 只能, zhǐ néng: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
只能 is read zhǐ néng: 2 syllables. 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 “只能”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 只能. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 你超速了！这里只能开六十。nǐchāosùle,zhèlǐzhǐnéngkāiliùshíYou're speeding! The limit here is sixty.
- 我们只能靠自己。wǒmenzhǐnéngkàozìjǐWe can only count on ourselves.
- 我们只能坐船渡河wǒmenzhǐnéngzuòchuándùhéAll we can do is cross the river by boat.
More words from the lesson “Card OK?”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “can only” in Chinese?
“Can only” in Chinese is 只能, pinyin zhǐnéng.
What does 只能 mean?
只能 (zhǐnéng) means “can only; have no choice but”.
How do you write 只能?
只能 is 2 characters: 只 (zhī) — measure word for animals; 能 (néng) — can, be able. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 只能?
只能 is read zhǐnéng. Tones: zhǐ — third tone, néng — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“can only” in the lesson “Card OK?”
This word is from the topic “Shopping and things” of HSK 3. 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.
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