只要 in English

Measure word

• 叶 yè leaf; page; lobe; (historical) period; classifier for small boats attested in use

Character breakdown

• 只隻 zhī classifier for birds and certain animals…
• 要 yāo (bound form) to demand

Stroke order

How it used to be written

只

• Chu manuscripts 戰國.楚
• Small seal script

要

• Small seal script
• Clerical script 東漢
• See all 10 forms

Forms, sources and dates: the 字形演變 database of 小學堂, Academia Sinica, public domain (CC0).

Examples

• 从苏黎世到波士顿坐飞机要八个小时，但是返回时只要六个。

  It takes eight hours to fly from Zurich to Boston, but only six for the return trip.

• 你只要在这里写下你的姓名和地址就行了。

  All you have to do is to write your name and address here.

• 你只要坐在这儿就行了。

  You have only to sit here.

• 你只要问就好了。

  You have only to ask for it.

• 你确定你只要水吗？

  Are you sure you just want water?

• 别人可以随便怎么想，只要他们的想法与我的相同。

  Other people can think what they want, as long as they think like I do.

• 只要一息尚存，便还有希望。

  While I breathe, I hope.

• 只要你好好学中文，你就能去中国读书了。

  If you learn Chinese well, you can go study in China.

All example sentences with 只要