〜しか〜ない
Only 〜しか〜ない
Meaning
"Only ~" — expresses limitation, with a nuance of "nothing but / not enough". MUST be used with a negative verb.
Formation
[noun] しか + [negative verb]
Notes
The verb is grammatically NEGATIVE even though the meaning is positive ("only"). For a neutral "only", use だけ + affirmative.
Examples
百（ひゃく）円（えん）しかありません。
I only have 100 yen.
Breakdown
日本語（にほんご）が少（すこ）ししかわかりません。
I only understand a little Japanese.
Breakdown
昨日（きのう）、三人（さんにん）しか来（き）ませんでした。
Only three people came yesterday.
Breakdown
ペンしか使（つか）いません。
I only use pens.
Breakdown
今日（きょう）はこれしか食（た）べませんでした。
Today I ate only this.
Breakdown
一日（いちにち）に二（に）時間（じかん）しか寝（ね）ません。
I sleep only two hours a day.
Breakdown
⚠️ Often confused with
〜だけ
Only / just だけ
"Only / just ~" — neutral limitation. Unlike しか, だけ goes with an AFFIRMATIVE verb and...
[数量]＋も / [数量]＋しか〜ない
Quantity + も / しか
Colours a quantity as large (も, "as many as") or small (しか〜ない, "only").
〜てばかりいる
Do nothing but 〜てばかりいる
Criticises a repeated action — "does nothing but ~", "is always ~ing".
〜だらけ
Covered in 〜だらけ
"Covered in ~", "full of ~" — an unpleasant abundance.
〜きり
Ever since / only 〜きり
Two uses: "and that was the last of it" after a past verb, and "just / only" after a noun.
〜なんて
Something like (belittling) 〜なんて
Dismisses or belittles — "something like ~", "the very idea of ~". Can also express surpri...
〜限り（は）
As long as 〜限り（は）
"As long as ~", "as far as ~" — the condition under which the statement holds.
〜ない限り
Unless / so long as not 〜ない限り
"Unless ~", "so long as ~ does not happen".
〜に限らず
Not limited to 〜に限らず
"Not just ~", "not limited to ~".
〜に限って
Of all times 〜に限って
"Of all times / of all people ~"; also "~ alone would never".
〜に限る
Nothing beats 〜に限る
"Nothing beats ~", "~ is the best thing".
〜をもって
As of (formal) 〜をもって
"As of ~", "with ~", "by means of ~" — a formal boundary or instrument.
〜に至るまで
Extending even to 〜に至るまで
"Extending all the way to ~", "down to even ~" — the range reaches an extreme.