Discussion of 只能

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What other words can I use instead of 只能 (zhǐ néng)?

个学生

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Instead of 只能 (zhǐ néng), which means "can only," you can use the following alternatives:

1. 唯有 (wéi yǒu) - This means "only" or "merely," emphasizing exclusivity. It conveys a similar sense of limitation as 只能 (zhǐ néng).

2. 只好 (zhǐ hǎo) - This phrase means "have no choice but to" or "can only," suggesting that the action is taken out of necessity rather than preference.

3. 仅仅 (jǐn jǐn) - This means "only" or "merely," and it can express a limitation similar to 只能 (zhǐ néng), although it often emphasizes the smallness or insufficiency of something.

当老师

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When is 只能 (zhǐ néng) used in a sentence?

个学生

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The term 只能 (zhǐ néng) is used in Mandarin Chinese to express the idea of "can only" or "can do nothing but." It implies a limitation or restriction on what one is able to do. This phrase is typically used to indicate that there are no other options available, or that a certain action is the only feasible choice in a given situation.

You would use 只能 (zhǐ néng) when you want to emphasize that, despite wanting to do something else or having other desires, the circumstances dictate that only one specific action can be taken.

For example, if someone says, "我只能去那里" (Wǒ zhǐ néng qù nàlǐ), it translates to "I can only go there," indicating that going somewhere else is not an option.

当老师

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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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