只要

Character by character

• 只zhǐ5 strokesHSK 2 traditional 戠only, just, simply
• 要yào9 strokesHSK 1necessary, essential; necessity

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

Example sentences

• 我只要自由。

  Wǒ zhǐ yào zì yóu

  All I want is my freedom.

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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 只要. Reading them together is how the character starts to stick — the same characters in a different context.

• 要yàoHSK 1

  to want; to need; to ask for; will; shall; about to; need to; should; if (same as 是); (bound form) important

• 只zhǐHSK 2

  only; merely; just; but

• 需要xū yàoHSK 3

  to need; to want; to demand; to require; needs

• 不要bù yàoHSK 2

  don't!; must not

• 只是zhǐ shìHSK 3

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

• 重要zhòng yàoHSK 1

  important; significant; major

• 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")

• 要求yāo qiúHSK 2

  to request; to require; requirement; to stake a claim; to ask; to demand

• 只能zhǐ néngHSK 2

  can only; obliged to do sth; to have no other choice

• 主要zhǔ yàoHSK 2

  main; principal; major; primary

• 就要jiù yàoHSK 2

  will; shall; to be going to

• 必要bì yàoHSK 3

  necessary; essential; indispensable; required

• 要是yào shiHSK 3

  (coll.) if

• 要么yào meHSK 6

  or; either one or the other

• 只不过zhǐ bu guòHSK 5

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

• 只好zhǐ hǎoHSK 3

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

• 要不yào bùHSK 7

  otherwise; or else; how about...?; either... (or...)

• 快要kuài yàoHSK 2

  nearly at the point of (doing sth); about to (do sth)

• 将要jiāng yàoHSK 5

  will; shall; to be going to

• 首要shǒu yàoHSK 7

  the most important; of chief importance

• 要不然yào bù ránHSK 6

  otherwise; or else; or

• 要命yào mìngHSK 7

  to cause sb's death; extremely; terribly; (used in complaining about sth) to be a nuisance

• 至关重要zhì guān zhòng yàoHSK 7

  extremely important; vital; crucial; essential

• 要点yào diǎnHSK 7

  main point; essential