The Chinese word 只好 is often used to express a sense of resignation or acceptance of a less than ideal situation. It can be translated as “have to” or “be forced to” in English. For example, if someone says “我只好去加班”, it means “I have to work overtime” or “I am forced to work overtime”. It can also be used to express that there are no other options available.
Translation
Adverb: have to
Pronunciation
Example Sentences
| Chinese | Pinyin | Engish |
|---|---|---|
| 我们迟到了，只好走路去 | wǒmen chídào le, zhǐhǎo zǒulù qù | We are late, so we have to walk there |
| 天气太热了，只好开空调 | tiānqì tài rè le, zhǐhǎo kāi kōngtiáo | It’s too hot, so we have to turn on the air conditioning |
| 我的手机坏了，只好用朋友的 | wǒ de shǒujī huài le, zhǐhǎo yòng péngyǒu de | My phone is broken, so I have to use my friend’s |
| 我不想去，但是没有人代替我，只好去 | wǒ bù xiǎng qù, dànshì méiyǒu rén dàitì wǒ, zhǐhǎo qù | I don’t want to go, but there’s no one to replace me, so I have to go |
| 我们没有钱，只好吃便宜的食物 | wǒmen méiyǒu qián, zhǐhǎo chī piányí de shíwù | We don’t have money, so we have to eat cheap food |
| 我的中文不太好，只好用英文沟通 | wǒ de zhōngwén bù tài hǎo, zhǐhǎo yòng yīngwén gōutōng | My Chinese is not very good, so I have to communicate in English |
HSK
只好 is part of HSK Level 4 in HSK 2.0. In the newer HSK 3.0 it is part of HSK Level 3.
Learning Card
