Chinese–EnglishWith examples

只能

zhǐ néng · zhi neng

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 2

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. can only
  2. obliged to do sth
  3. to have no other choice
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In a conversation

0:17 cartoon

The last train

  1. Dengdeng

    末班(mòbān)地铁(dìtiě)走(zǒu)了(le)！

    The last subway has left!

  2. Liangliang

    那(nà)我们(wǒmen)只能(zhǐnéng)打车(dǎchē)了(le)。

    Then we can only take a taxi.

  3. Dengdeng

    打车(dǎchē)太(tài)贵(guì)，只能(zhǐnéng)走路(zǒulù)回家(huíjiā)吧(ba)。

    A taxi is too expensive. We can only walk home.

  4. Liangliang

    走路(zǒulù)要(yào)两个(liǎnggè)小时(xiǎoshí)！

    Walking takes two hours!

  5. Dengdeng

    看(kàn)，前面(qiánmiàn)有(yǒu)夜班(yèbān)公交车(gōngjiāochē)！

    Look, there is a night bus ahead!

  6. Liangliang

    太好了(tàihǎole)，不用(bùyòng)走路(zǒulù)了(le)！

    Great, no walking!

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

一(yí)个(ge)人(rén)只(zhǐ)能(néng)活(huó)七(qī)十(shí)岁(suì)左(zuǒ)右(yòu)。

Humans only live about 70 years.

Tatoeba: Chinese by crescat · English by CM · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

末(mò)班(bān)车(chē)已(yǐ)经(jīng)走(zǒu)了(le)，我(wǒ)们(men)只(zhǐ)能(néng)走(zǒu)路(lù)回(huí)家(jiā)。

The last bus has already left, so we can only walk home.

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

The characters

Explore individually
只
zhǐ

only; merely; just

能
néng

can; to be able to

Individual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of a whole word.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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