How to Write 只 (zhī/zhǐ) — Meaning “Only; just; (measure word for animals/objects)”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember 只?

Picture a mouth (口) with two little legs below — like a bird standing. This helps you recall that 只 is the measure word for animals (e.g., a bird). The 'only' meaning can be remembered as the bird having only one mouth.

Q: What should I watch out for when writing 只?

First write the 口 as a narrow box: vertical line, top horizontal turn, then bottom horizontal. Then add a left-falling stroke (撇) and a short dot (点) below. A common mistake is making the dot too long like a right-falling stroke — keep it small and balanced.

Q: How can I tell 只 apart from similar characters like 卟 and 口?

只 is a top-bottom character with a mouth on top and two strokes below. 口 is just a square (the mouth radical alone). 卟 is a left-right character with 口 on the left and 卜 on the right. Only 只 is common in everyday HSK 2 vocabulary.

Q: When and how is 只 used in modern Chinese?

只 has two common uses: as an adverb meaning 'only' (e.g., 只有 'only have') and as a measure word for animals or one of a pair (e.g., 一只猫 'one cat'). It appears in everyday phrases like 只要 'as long as' and is essential for basic counting.

Q: What common words use 只?

Common words containing 只 include: 只有 (zhǐ yǒu) — Only; 只要 (zhǐ yào) — as long as; 一只 (yī zhī) — a/one (measure word for animals or one of a pair).

zhī/zhǐ HSK Level 2 5 strokes Radical: 口

只 (zhī/zhǐ) means "Only; just; (measure word for animals/objects)" in Chinese. It has 5 strokes with the radical 口, and is HSK Level 2.

Rated 2.4/5 in difficulty (moderate).

Harder than 18% of HSK Level 2 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 只有 (zhǐ yǒu), 只要 (zhǐ yào), 一只 (yī zhī).

Hanzi Writer's stroke validation shows learners typically need 5-8 attempts to write 只 with correct proportion and order.

Practice Writing 只 (zhī/zhǐ)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 只 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 只

The character 只 (zhī/zhǐ) is written with 5 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 口 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does zhī/zhǐ (只) Mean in Chinese?

只 means Only; just; (measure word for animals/objects).

This is a polyphonic character with readings: zhī, zhǐ.

As an HSK Level 2 character, 只 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character	只
Pinyin	zhī / zhǐ (zhi)
Meaning	Only; just; (measure word for animals/objects)
Strokes	5
Radical	口
HSK Level	2
Difficulty	2.4/5

Origin of 只

只 combines 口 (mouth) and 八 (to divide), originally meaning a final particle that limits a statement; over time it took on the meanings 'only' and 'just' from the idea of partial or confined speech.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a mouth (口) saying 'only two' while two legs (八) walk away, leaving just one behind.

Common Words with 只

只有 zhǐ yǒu

Only

只要 zhǐ yào

as long as

一只 yī zhī

a/one (measure word for animals or one of a pair)

只身 zhī shēn

Alone; by oneself

Example Sentences

只有通过不懈的努力，才能获得最后的成功。

zhǐ yǒu tōng guò bù xiè de nǔ lì cái néng huò dé zuì hòu de chéng gōng

Only through unremitting efforts can final success be achieved.

只要明天不下雨，我们就按计划去露营。

zhǐ yào míng tiān bù xià yǔ wǒ men jiù àn jì huà qù lù yíng

As long as it doesn't rain tomorrow, we will go camping as planned.

树枝上停着一只羽毛艳丽的小鸟。

shù zhī shàng tíng zhe yī zhī yǔ máo yàn lì de xiǎo niǎo

A bird with colorful feathers is perched on a tree branch.

他只身一人来到这座陌生的城市打拼。

tā zhī shēn yī rén lái dào zhè zuò mò shēng de chéng shì dǎ pīn

He came to this strange city all by himself to make a living.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
只 (current)	zhī / zhǐ	5	口
卟	bǔ	5	口
口	kǒu	3	口
古	gǔ	5	口

Practice Writing 只 (zhī/zhǐ)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 只 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 只

What are the main components of 只 and how do they relate to its meaning?

只 has two parts: the radical 口 (mouth) on top and a bottom shape resembling 八 (eight). The mouth radical does not directly give the meaning 'only' or 'measure word' — this is a borrowed usage. Structurally, it's a top-bottom character.

What is a good memory trick to remember 只?

What should I watch out for when writing 只?

How can I tell 只 apart from similar characters like 卟 and 口?

When and how is 只 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 只?

How to Write 只 (zhī/zhǐ) — Meaning “Only; just; (measure word for animals/objects)”

Practice Writing 只 (zhī/zhǐ)

How to Write 只

What Does zhī/zhǐ (只) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 只

Common Words with 只

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 只 (zhī/zhǐ)

Frequently Asked Questions about 只

More HSK Level 2 Characters

Characters with Radical 口

Other 5-Stroke Characters