HSK 3 · Modal & Attitude

只好

zhǐ hǎo

to have no choice but to

Stroke order of 只好

2 characters, 11 strokes in total. Watch the animation, then try writing it yourself.

只 · 5 strokes 好 · 6 strokes

Memory trick

Only 只 and good 好 (woman with child): the only good choice left.

Parts: 只 only + 好 good

The characters in 只好

只 zhǐ — only; just (5 strokes)
好 hǎo — good; well (6 strokes)

Example sentence

车坏了，我只好走路。

The car broke down, so I had no choice but to walk.

Words with 只

只only; just 只能can only 只要as long as 只是only; merely; but 只有only; only if

Words with 好

好good; well 好吃tasty; delicious 好看good-looking 好听pleasant to hear 好玩儿fun; interesting 爱好hobby; to like 最好best; had better 好人good person 好久a long time 好多many; a lot 挺好quite good 不好意思sorry; embarrassed 友好friendly 好像to seem; to look like 好处advantage; benefit 好事good thing 正好just right; happen to 好好well; properly

More words: Modal & Attitude

当然of course 其实actually 确实indeed; really 果然as expected; sure enough 到底after all; on earth 反正anyway 难道could it be that 千万be sure to; ten million 恐怕I'm afraid; perhaps 大概probably; roughly 就是exactly; just 只是only; merely; but 只有only; only if 不得不to have to 不必need not

Learn to write it by hand

Bloomko is a free Android app: write characters stroke by stroke, practise with spaced repetition and get an AI tutor that works offline. Be the first to know when it launches.