但 dàn — but; yet; however; only; merely; still
我想去，但是没有时间。Wǒ xiǎng qù, dàn shì méi yǒu shí jiān.I want to go, but I do not have time.
Common words: 但是 (dàn shì)、不但 (bù dàn)、但愿 (dàn yuàn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "merely"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "merely", including 但 (dàn), 仅 (jǐn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "merely" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 但 (dàn), 仅 (jǐn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span dàn, jǐn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 但 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 但 dànbut; yet; however; only; merely; stillUseful words: 但是, 不但
- 仅 jǐnbarely; only; merelyUseful words: 不仅, 仅仅
Common words for these 2 "merely" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 但 (dàn) — so "merely" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "merely".
仅 jǐn — barely; only; merely
这家店仅在周末营业。Zhè jiā diàn jǐn zài zhōu mò yíng yè.This shop is only open on weekends.
Common words: 不仅 (bù jǐn)、仅仅 (jǐn jǐn)、不仅仅 (bù jǐn jǐn)
All 2 characters
Open 但、仅 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.