只能

Character by character

• 只zhǐ5 strokesHSK 2 traditional 戠only, just, simply
• 能néng10 strokesHSK 1to be able; can, permitted to; ability

Each character links to its stroke order page with a tracing and a writing exercise.

Example sentences

• 他只能看着。

  Tā zhǐ néng kàn zhe

  He could only watch.

  Listen

Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR), contributed by their community.

Words with the same characters

These words share at least one character with 只能. Reading them together is how the character starts to stick — the same characters in a different context.

• 能néngHSK 1

  can; to be able to; might possibly; ability; (physics) energy

• 只zhǐHSK 2

  only; merely; just; but

• 可能kě néngHSK 2

  might (happen); possible; probable; possibility; probability; maybe; perhaps

• 只是zhǐ shìHSK 3

  merely; only; just; nothing but; simply; but; however

• 只有zhǐ yǒuHSK 3

  only have ...; there is only ...; (used in combination with 才) it is only if one ... (that one can ...) (Example: 只有通过治疗才能痊愈 "the only way to cure it is with therapy"); it is only ... (who ...) (Example: 要 "only men would have such a requirement"); (used to indicate that one has no alternative) one can only (do a certain thing) (Example: 服 "the only thing you can do is give in")

• 只要zhǐ yàoHSK 2

  if only; so long as

• 能够néng gòuHSK 2

  to be capable of; to be able to; can

• 能力néng lìHSK 3

  capability; ability

• 功能gōng néngHSK 3

  function; capability

• 能否néng fǒuHSK 6

  whether or not; can it or can't it; is it possible?

• 只不过zhǐ bu guòHSK 5

  only; merely; nothing but; no more than; it's just that ...

• 能量néng liàngHSK 5

  energy; capabilities

• 只好zhǐ hǎoHSK 3

  to have no other option but to ...; to have to; to be forced to

• 能不能néng bùnéngHSK 3

  Can you

• 才能cái néngHSK 3

  talent; ability; capacity

• 能源néng yuánHSK 7

  energy; power source

• 尽可能jǐn kě néngHSK 5

  as far as possible; to do one's utmost

• 技能jì néngHSK 5

  technical ability; skill

• 智能zhì néngHSK 4

  intelligent; able; smart (phone, system, bomb etc)

• 本能běn néngHSK 7

  instinct

• 万能wàn néngHSK 7

  omnipotent; all-purpose; universal

• 性能xìng néngHSK 5

  function; performance; behavior

• 无能为力wú néng wéi lìHSK 7

  impotent (idiom); powerless; helpless

• 无能wú néngHSK 7

  incompetence; inability; incapable; powerless