只好
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 3 (2021)Old HSK 4
只好 (zhǐhǎo) · to have to
只好 (zhǐhǎo) means “to have to; to have no choice but to”. It is written with 2 characters: 只 (only) + 好 (good). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 只好 is built
The characters
只 zhǐ · only
What 只 is made of
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
- 八bā — eight
Origin hint: Simple words 八 coming from the mouth 口 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
好 hǎo · good
What 好 is made of
- 女nǚ — woman
- 子zǐ — child
- 了liǎo / le — finish
- 乛 — bent stroke
- 亅 — hook
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 了liǎo / le — finish
Origin hint: A woman 女 with a son 子 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
没有车了，我们只好走回家。Méiyǒu chē le, wǒmen zhǐhǎo zǒu huíjiā.There were no more buses, so we had to walk home.
下雨了，我只好在家。Xiàyǔ le, wǒ zhǐhǎo zài jiā.It rained, so I had to stay home.
Questions about 只好
What does 只好 mean?
只好 (zhǐhǎo) means “to have to; to have no choice but to”.
How do you pronounce 只好?
只好 is pronounced zhǐhǎo.
Which HSK level is 只好?
只好 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 4.
Related words
- 只能zhǐnéngcan only
- 只要zhǐyàoas long as
- 只是zhǐshìjust
- 只有zhǐyǒuonly
- 只有才zhǐyǒu…cáionly if … then …
- 只zhǐonly
- 爱好àihàohobby
- 好吃hǎochīdelicious
- 好看hǎokàngood-looking
- 好听hǎotīngpleasant to hear
Learn 只好 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 31: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.