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zhí hǎo
adv. have to..., be forced to..., have no choice but to...
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Does this adverb create a causative relationship?
GiveMeAName
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Could only___ / Have no choice but to___
JaJaWa
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Are there any other words that have a similar meaning to 只好 (zhǐhǎo)?
个学生
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What situations is 只好 (zhǐhǎo) most commonly used in?
个学生
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只能 versus 只好:

只好 is an adverb, and it's used in unwanted, undesired situations. 只好 expresses a sense of "resignation", as in "the acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable";

只能 is a phrase, composed of an adverb - 只 and an auxiliary verb - 能. 只能 is used in a neutral sense.

Example: 我只能看有英文字幕的电影。 [phr] I can only watch movies with subtitles in English.
This sentence above states, as a matter of fact, "I can only watch moves with subtitles in English." It doesn't imply if it's an undesired situation or not.

If we say, instead, "我只好看有英文字幕的电影。", the English translation will be "I have no choice but watch moves with subtitles in English." The meaning is totally different, and it's turned into an undesired situation.
lisaC
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