N488/179

Number + しか〜ない

N + しか + 〜ないNumber + しか + 〜ないTime/money/quantity + しか + 〜ない

Meanings

  • only
  • no more than
  • as few as
  • as little as

About this pattern

Explanation

X しか 〜ない is used to express that the given amount is all there is, with a sense of limitation or insufficiency. It emphasizes that the speaker cannot go beyond that amount; it often carries a nuance of constraint, disappointment, or inevitability. The object before しか is the limited quantity or number, and the verb phrase 〜ない completes the negative statement. This pattern is commonly used in everyday situations to talk about limited resources, small counts, or minimal opportunities.

Learn in context

Example sentences

コーヒーは一杯しかない。

We only have one cup of coffee.

参加者は五人しか来なかった。

Only five people attended.

このヘアスタイルは三千円しかかからない。

This hairstyle costs only three thousand yen.

今日は時間が十分ある人は一人しかいない。

Today, there is only one person who has plenty of time.

この本は全部で百ページしかない。

This book has only one hundred pages.