只zhī

只

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简体

Simplified Chinese

Simplified Chinese (簡體). 只 (zhī) appears unchanged from traditional script — the character combines 口 (mouth) with 儿 (person) below, originally picturing a one-eyed person or single-winged bird to represent singularity. Today it serves dual roles: as a measure word for birds, animals and small objects, or as zhǐ meaning "only" or "merely."

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Shuowen

只 depicts a short-tailed bird (隹) held in a hand (又), representing the act of catching or grasping a bird; from this concrete image of "one captured bird" came the extended meanings of "a single one" and "only/merely," which is why the character now serves as a measure word for birds and small animals while also functioning as an adverb meaning "merely."

Pinyin

zhī· HSK 2

只zhī

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin