只好

zhǐ hǎo

HSK 2.0 Level 4 HSK 3.0 Level 4 Adverb Common

Definitions

1. to have no other option but to ...; to have to; to be forced to

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Usage notes

Common mistakes

Don't confuse 只好 with 只要. 只好 means 'have no choice but to', while 只要 means 'as long as'.

Grammar

Guides that feature 只好

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1 guide

HSK 2.0 Level 4+ HSK 3.0 Level 4+ 6 min

只好, 差点儿, 正好 and 确实 for How Things Turned Out

Four everyday mood adverbs: 只好 (had no choice but), 差点儿 (almost), 正好 (just in time) and 确实 (really, indeed).

Reading: zhǐ hǎo Open guide

Example Sentences

5 shown

下雨了，我们只好待在家里。

It's raining, so we have no choice but to stay home.

我无可奈何，只好同意。

I had no choice but to agree.

他无处藏身，只好出来。

He had nowhere to hide, so he had to come out.

他不小心打碎了杯子，只好赔钱。

He accidentally broke the cup and had to pay for it.

没有别的办法，我们只好走回家。

There is no other option; we have to walk home.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 只好

only

good

to be fond of; to have a tendency to; to be prone to

只

zhī

grain that has begun to ripen

只好