只能
HSK 3 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)
只能 (zhǐnéng) · can only
只能 (zhǐnéng) means “can only; have to”. It is written with 2 characters: 只 (only) + 能 (can). It is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 只能 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)
能 néng · can
What 能 is made of
- 厶sī — private
- ⺼ — meat
- 匕bǐ — spoon
- 乚 — hook stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 匕bǐ — spoon
- 乚 — hook stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
Origin hint: A bear's head 厶, body ⺼, and claws 匕 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
没车了，我们只能走路。Méi chē le, wǒmen zhǐnéng zǒulù.There's no car, so we can only walk.
这里只能停一辆车吗？Zhèlǐ zhǐnéng tíng yī liàng chē ma?Can only one car park here?
Questions about 只能
What does 只能 mean?
只能 (zhǐnéng) means “can only; have to”.
How do you pronounce 只能?
只能 is pronounced zhǐnéng.
Which HSK level is 只能?
只能 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021).
Related words
- 只要zhǐyàoas long as
- 只好zhǐhǎoto have to
- 只是zhǐshìjust
- 只有zhǐyǒuonly
- 只有才zhǐyǒu…cáionly if … then …
- 只zhǐonly
- 可能kěnéngmaybe
- 能够nénggòucan
- 才能cáinéngtalent
- 功能gōngnéngfunction
Learn 只能 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 29: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.