[数量]＋も / [数量]＋しか〜ない
Quantity + も / しか
Meaning
Colours a quantity as large (も, "as many as") or small (しか〜ない, "only").
Formation
[number + counter] + も · [number + counter] + しか + [negative verb]
Notes
The number itself does not change — the speaker's judgement does. 三時間も待った ("waited a full three hours") versus 三時間しか待たなかった ("waited only three hours"). しか always takes a negative verb, and the sentence stays affirmative in meaning.
Examples
三（さん）時間（じかん）も待（ま）ちました。
I waited a full three hours.
Breakdown
千（せん）円（えん）しか持（も）っていません。
I only have a thousand yen.
Breakdown
ケーキを五（いつ）つも食（た）べました。
I ate as many as five cakes.
Breakdown
教室（きょうしつ）には三人（さんにん）しかいませんでした。
There were only three people in the classroom.
Breakdown
本（ほん）を十（じゅう）冊（さつ）も買（か）いましたが、二（に）冊（さつ）しか読（よ）んでいません。
I bought as many as ten books, but I have only read two.
Breakdown
⚠️ Often confused with
〜しか〜ない
Only 〜しか〜ない
"Only ~" — expresses limitation, with a nuance of "nothing but / not enough". MUST be used...
〜だけ
Only / just だけ
"Only / just ~" — neutral limitation. Unlike しか, だけ goes with an AFFIRMATIVE verb and...
〜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.