DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

只不過

简只不过 · 繁只不過

Mandarin · pinyin zhǐ bu guò

only; merely; nothing but; no more than
it's just that ...

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

只: zhǐ · only, just, simply
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
過: guò · pass, pass through, go across
过: guò · pass, pass through, go across

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

3–5–4 · zhi3 bu5 guo4

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

只不過 · find source passages ↗ · 只不过 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zi2 bat1 gwo3

Cantonese word readings for 只不過. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

conj

merely; just; only

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack