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只得

Mandarin · pinyin zhǐ dé

to have no alternative but to; to be obliged to

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Characters in this entry

只: zhǐ · only, just, simply
得: dé · obtain, get, gain, acquire

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

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Mandarin tones

3–2 · zhi3 de2

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zi2 dak1

Cantonese word readings for 只得. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

adv

have to; can only; have no choice but to; be forced to

conj

(Cantonese) to only have; to just have

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

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