Sentence PatternsHSK 5
Expressing "that's all" with 而已
The particle 而已 (éryǐ) is placed at the end of a statement to indicate that something is just as described and nothing more. It is commonly combined with limiting adverbs like 只是, 就是, or 才 to reinforce the sense of limitation. A common mistake is placing 而已 before the noun rather than at the very end of the sentence.
Structure
Subj. + (只是 / 就是 / 才) + Noun Phrase + 而已
The limiting adverb is optional but frequently used; other adverbs like 仅仅 and 只 are also possible.
Examples
- 一杯咖啡而已，不要这么感动。Yì bēi kā fēi ér yǐ, bú yào zhè me gǎn dòng.It's just a cup of coffee, you don't need to be so moved.
- “一千块而已”？你不要说得这么容易。"Yì qiān kuài ér yǐ"? nǐ bú yào shuō dé zhè me róng yì."Only one thousand yuan?" Don't make it sound so easy.
- 只是电视剧而已，现实中可没有这样的事儿。Zhǐ shì diàn shì jù ér yǐ, xiàn shí zhōng kě méi yǒu zhè yàng de shì r.It's just a TV series. There is no such thing in reality.
- 才一个问题而已，她就开始生气了。Cái yí gè wèn tí ér yǐ, tā jiù kāi shǐ shēng qì le.There was only one problem, and she started to get angry.
- 就是一个吻而已，没有什么特别的意思。Jiù shì yí gè wěn ér yǐ, méi yǒu shén me tè bié de yì si.It was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything special.