zhǐ只yǒu有(Mandarin)(Cantonese)
Dictionary
only have ...; there is only .../(used in combination with 才 cái) it is only if ... (that one can ...) (as in 只有通過治療才能痊愈|只有通过治疗才能痊愈 zhǐ yǒu tōng guò zhì liáo cái néng quán yù "the only way to cure it is with therapy")/it is only (someone) who ... (as in 只有男性才有此需要 zhǐ yǒu nán xìng cái yǒu cǐ xū yào "only men would have such a requirement")/(used to express lack of alternatives) can only; have no choice but to (as in 只有屈服 zhǐ yǒu qū fú "the only thing you can do is give in")
Examples
我只有一百块钱了。
Wǒ zhǐ yǒu yī bǎi kuài qián le.
→ I only have a hundred yuan left.
只有努力练习，才能弹好钢琴。
Zhǐ yǒu nǔ lì liàn xí, cái néng tán hǎo gāng qín.
→ Only by practicing hard can you play the piano well.
雨太大了，我们只有等雨停了再走。
Yǔ tài dà le, wǒ men zhǐ yǒu děng yǔ tíng le zài zǒu.
→ The rain is too heavy; we have no choice but to wait for it to stop before leaving.
Did You Know?
Word Formation
只 means 'only' and 有 means 'to have'.
Usage Tips
只有 often pairs with 才 to mean 'only if...then', e.g., 只有努力才能成功 (only by working hard can you succeed), and can also mean 'have no choice but to'.