zhǐ shì
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Chinese dictionary
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  • 1

    adv.only; just; merely; no more than; nothing but

    • zhǐ shì shuō shuō ér yǐ

      只是而已

      It's only talk.

    • zhǐ shì rú cǐ ér yǐ

      只是如此而已

      That's all it is, nothing more.

    • wǒ shuō zhè zhǐ shì kāi gè wán xiào bà le

      只是玩笑

      I said it merely as a joke.

    • wǒ jīn tiān jìn chéng zhǐ shì qù kàn kàn péng you méi yǒu bié de shì r

      今天进城只是朋友没有别的事儿

      Today I'm going to town just to see friends.

  • 2

    adv.simply

    • tā zhǐ shì bù kěn

      只是

      He's simply not willing.

    • bù guǎn rén jia zěn yàng wèn tā zhǐ shì bù kāi kǒu

      人家怎样只是开口

      No matter how hard he is pressed, he simply doesn't open his mouth.

    • zhè zhǐ shì yī xiē shǒu xù wèn tí

      只是一些手续问题

      This is simply a question of formalities.

    • zhè wèi tuī xiāo yuán zhǐ shì tōng guò zhǎn shì tā de chǎn pǐn lái zuò xiù

      推销员只是通过展示产品

      The salesman was simply making show by displaying his products.

  • 3

    conj.except that; but; however; but then

    • wǒ běn xiǎng qù zhǐ shì tiān xià xuě chū bù liǎo mén

      只是

      I originally wanted to go but it began to snow and so I couldn't go out.

    • běn lái yù bèi jīn tiān pāi shè wài jǐng zhǐ shì tiān hái méi yǒu qíng

      本来预备今天拍摄外景只是没有

      We planned to shoot a scene on location but the weather has not cleared up.

    • tā gè fāng miàn dōu hěn hǎo zhǐ shì pǐn wèi chà xiē

      方面只是品味

      He's good in every respect except in taste.

    • wǒ men běn lái xiǎng yě cān de zhǐ shì yī zhí xià yǔ

      我们本来野餐只是一直下雨

      We had planned to have a picnic, but the rain just wouldn't stop.

Word usage

  • Note
    "只是" is different from "不过". "只是" carries a lighter meaning, and generally there is no pause after it; there can be pauses after "不过".