Meanings of 僅
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About 僅
Podcast: 僅
Podcast: 僅
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AI Study Notes for 僅
仅 (jǐn) vs 只是 (zhǐ shì): use 僅 for emphasizing limitation in quantity; use 只是 for a more general sense of 'just' or 'only'.
Be careful not to confuse 僅 with similar terms like 只 (zhǐ), which also means 'only' but can imply a more informal tone. 僅 is often used in more formal or literary contexts. Common collocations include 僅僅 (jǐnjǐn) meaning 'merely' or 'just'.
While 僅 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it is useful to understand for advanced learners. Focus on its nuanced usage in formal contexts, comparing it with other expressions of limitation like 只 (zhǐ) or 唯 (wéi).
Learners often mix 僅 with 只, using them interchangeably. For example, saying 僅是我朋友 (jǐn shì wǒ péngyǒu) instead of 只 (zhǐ) is incorrect; it should be 只 (zhǐ) 是我朋友 to convey the informal meaning of 'only a friend'.
Pronunciation of 僅
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Etymology of 僅
Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 堇 represents the sound. The simplified character 仅 was adapted from the cursive form of the traditional character 僅.
person
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 僅
Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 堇 represents the sound. The simplified character 仅 was adapted from the cursive form of the traditional character 僅.
- 1The meaning half亻 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half堇 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayperson
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 僅? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 僅
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How to say only, merely, solely, just in Chinese
“only, merely, solely, just” in Chinese is僅
The character 僅 (jǐn) means 'only' or 'merely', emphasizing limitation or exclusivity. It is commonly used to express that something is less than what might be expected or that it is just enough to meet a certain condition. This word often appears in contexts that require precision in quantity or quality.
When to use 僅
Be careful not to confuse 僅 with similar terms like 只 (zhǐ), which also means 'only' but can imply a more informal tone. 僅 is often used in more formal or literary contexts. Common collocations include 僅僅 (jǐnjǐn) meaning 'merely' or 'just'.
僅 or something close to it
仅 (jǐn) vs 只是 (zhǐ shì): use 僅 for emphasizing limitation in quantity; use 只是 for a more general sense of 'just' or 'only'.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mix 僅 with 只, using them interchangeably. For example, saying 僅是我朋友 (jǐn shì wǒ péngyǒu) instead of 只 (zhǐ) is incorrect; it should be 只 (zhǐ) 是我朋友 to convey the informal meaning of 'only a friend'.
Write 僅
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Practice writing 僅 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 僅
Compound Meaning
What does 仅 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 僅
You can say 僅有五個人參加 (jǐn yǒu wǔ gè rén cān jiā), meaning 'only five people participated'.
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