Scope Adverbs 共, 全, 光, 仅, 仅仅 and 至少
Give totals with 共, say “all” with 全, “only” with 光, 仅 and 仅仅, and set a minimum with 至少.
Pattern
共 + 有/是 + number; 全 + verb; 光 / 仅 / 仅仅 + verb or noun; 至少 + verb / number
光, 仅 and 仅仅 all mean “only”: 光 for chatting, 仅 for writing, 仅仅 for stress.
你别光玩手机，快写作业。
When to use Scope Adverbs 共, 全, 光, 仅, 仅仅 and 至少
These adverbs go before the verb and set the scope of what you say. 共 is a more formal 一共, meaning “in total”, and comes before 有 or 是 plus a number (共有三十人); 全 means “all, entirely” (大家全来了). 光, 仅 and 仅仅 all mean “only”: 光 is casual, 仅 is formal, and 仅仅 adds stress, like “merely”. 至少 means “at least” and sets a minimum: 至少要两天.
我们班共有三十五个学生。
Our class has thirty-five students in total.
他说的全对。
Everything he said is right.
从这儿到机场至少要一个小时。
It takes at least an hour from here to the airport.
光我们班就有十个人参加比赛。
Our class alone has ten people in the competition.
Common traps
- Put 全 and 共 before the verb, not before the subject: 大家全来了, not 全大家来了.
- In formal writing use 仅, not 光: 会议仅用了十分钟 reads well, 会议光用了十分钟 sounds like chatting.
- Don’t mix up 仅仅 and 不仅: 这仅仅是开始 means “this is only the beginning”, while 不仅 means “not only”.
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