Difference between revisions of "Expressing "that's all" with "eryi""

 
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而已 (éryǐ) comes at the end of a sentence to express that something is merely what it is. It is like saying "it's nothing more than x."
  
而已 expresses that something is merely what it is. It is like saying "it's only a test, that's all." 而已 is put at the end of the sentence to emphasis that something is just what it is.
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== Pattern with 而已 After a Noun ==
  
== Structure ==
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Whenever you need to emphasize that something is just what it is and that's all, you can stick 而已 at the end of the sentence.
  
Whenever you need to emphasize that something is just what it is and nothing more, you can stick 而已 at the end of the sentence. You can also use it in combination with 仅仅,只,就,才 and so on , which means "merely," though it is optional.
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=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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(只是 / 就是 / 才 +) Noun + 而已
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</div>
  
Subj. + Verb + Obj. + 而已
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You may also see it used in combination with other words like [[仅仅]],[[只]],[[就]],[[才]] and so on.
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=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
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* 一 杯 咖啡 <em>而已</em>,不 要 这么 感动。<span class="pinyin">Yī bēi kāfēi <em>éryǐ</em>, bùyào zhème gǎndòng.</span><span class="trans>It's just a cup of coffee, you don't need to be so moved.</span>
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* “ 一 千 块 <em>而已</em> ” ?你 不要 说得 这么 容易。"<span class="pinyin">Yī qiān kuài <em>éryǐ</em>"? nǐ bùyào shuō de zhème róngyì.</span><span class="trans>"Only one thousand yuan?" Don't make it sound so easy.</span>
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* <strong>只 是</strong> 电视剧 <em>而已</em>,现实 中 可 没有 这样 的 事儿。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Zhī shì</strong> diànshìjù <em>éryǐ</em>, xiànshí zhōng kě méiyǒu zhèyàng de shìr.</span><span class="trans>It's just a TV series. There is no such thing in reality.</span>
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* <strong>才</strong> 一个 问题 <em>而已</em>,她 就 开始 生气 了。<span class="pinyin"><strong> Cái</strong> yī gè wèntí <em>éryǐ</em>, tā jiù kāishǐ shēngqì le.</span><span class="trans>There was only one problem, and she started to get angry.</span>
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* <strong>就 是</strong> 一个 吻 <em>而已</em>,没有 什么 特别 的意思。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Jiù shì</strong> yī gè wěn <em>éryǐ</em>, méiyǒu shénme tèbié de yìsi.</span><span class="trans>It was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything special.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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== Pattern with 而已 After a Longer Phrase ==
 +
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Whenever you need to emphasize that something is just what it is and that's all, you can stick 而已 at the end of the sentence.
 +
 +
=== Structure ===
 +
 +
<div class="jiegou">
 +
Subj. + (只是 / 就是 / 才 / 仅仅 +) Verb + Obj. + 而已
 +
</div>
 +
 +
Again, words like [[仅仅]],[[只]],[[就]],[[才]] are optional, and add more emphasis.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
 
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* 他 <strong>只 </strong> 开 个 玩笑 <em>而已</em>,不 要 当 真。<span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>zhǐ shì</strong> kāi gè wánxiào <em>éryǐ</em>, bùyào dàngzhēn.</span><span class="trans>He's only joking; don't take it seriously.</span>
* 他 <strong>只</strong> 开 个 玩笑 <em>而已</em>,不 要 当 真。
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* 你 <strong>才</strong> 喝 了 一 瓶 啤酒 <em>而已</em>,怎么 会 喝 醉 了 呢?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>cái</strong> hē le yī píng píjiǔ <em>éryǐ</em>, zěnme huì hē zuì le ne?</span><span class="trans>You only drank one bottle of beer, h. How could you be drunk?</span>
* 你 <strong>才</strong> 喝 了 一 瓶 啤酒 <em>而已</em>,怎么 会 喝 醉 了 呢?
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* 这 次 会议 没有 达成 具体 的 方案,<strong>仅仅</strong> 是 在 这 个 问题 上 达成 了 共识 <em>而已</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè cì huìyì méiyǒu dáchéng jùtǐ de fāng'àn, <strong>jǐnjǐn</strong> shì zài zhège wèntí shàng dáchéng le gòngshì <em>éryǐ</em>.</span><span class="trans>This meeting did not produce a specific plan of action, only an agreement that there was an issue.</span>
* 这 次 会议 没有 达成 具体 的 方案,<strong>仅仅</strong> 是 在 这 个 问题 上 达成 了 共识 <em>而已</em>。
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* <strong>仅仅</strong> 是 打了 一 个 电话 <em>而已</em>,我 没有 帮 什么 忙。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Jǐnjǐn</strong> shì dǎ le yī gè diànhuà <em>éryǐ</em>, wǒ méiyǒu bāng shénme máng.</span><span class="trans>All I did was was make a phone call. I didn't help much.</span>
* 这 辆 车 没 什么 特别,它 <strong>就</strong> 辆 普通 的 汽车 <em>而已</em>。
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* 这 辆 车 没 什么 特别 ,它 <strong>就 </strong> 辆 普通 的 汽车 <em>而已</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè liàng chē méi shénme tèbié, tā <strong>jiù shì</strong> liàng pǔtōng de qìchē <em>éryǐ</em>.</span><span class="trans>This car is nothing special, it's just an ordinary car.</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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* [[Expressing "nothing but" with "wufei"]]
 
* [[Expressing "nothing but" with "wufei"]]
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
 
NEEDS SOURCES!!
 
  
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
 
{{Basic Grammar|而已|B2|Subj. + (仅仅) + 是 + Obj. + 而已 |他 只 是 开 个 玩笑 <em>而已</em>,不 要 当 真。|grammar point|ASG6TB4J}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|而已|B2|Subj. + (仅仅) + 是 + Obj. + 而已 |他 只 是 开 个 玩笑 <em>而已</em>,不 要 当 真。|grammar point|ASG6TB4J}}
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{{Rel char|只}}
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{{Rel char|才}}
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{{Rel char|就是}}
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{{Rel char|仅仅}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "nothing but" with "wufei"}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "nothing but" with "wufei"}}
 
{{POS|Sentence Patterns}}
 
{{POS|Sentence Patterns}}
 
{{Used for|Emphasizing a point}}
 
{{Used for|Emphasizing a point}}

Latest revision as of 09:19, 14 January 2021

而已 (éryǐ) comes at the end of a sentence to express that something is merely what it is. It is like saying "it's nothing more than x."

Pattern with 而已 After a Noun

Whenever you need to emphasize that something is just what it is and that's all, you can stick 而已 at the end of the sentence.

Structure

(只是 / 就是 / 才 +) Noun + 而已

You may also see it used in combination with other words like 仅仅 and so on.

Examples

  • 一 杯 咖啡 而已,不 要 这么 感动。Yī bēi kāfēi éryǐ, bùyào zhème gǎndòng.It's just a cup of coffee, you don't need to be so moved.
  • “ 一 千 块 而已 ” ?你 不要 说得 这么 容易。"Yī qiān kuài éryǐ"? nǐ bùyào shuō de zhème róngyì."Only one thousand yuan?" Don't make it sound so easy.
  • 只 是 电视剧 而已,现实 中 可 没有 这样 的 事儿。Zhī shì diànshìjù éryǐ, xiànshí zhōng kě méiyǒu zhèyàng de shìr.It's just a TV series. There is no such thing in reality.
  • 一个 问题 而已,她 就 开始 生气 了。 Cái yī gè wèntí éryǐ, tā jiù kāishǐ shēngqì le.There was only one problem, and she started to get angry.
  • 就 是 一个 吻 而已,没有 什么 特别 的意思。Jiù shì yī gè wěn éryǐ, méiyǒu shénme tèbié de yìsi.It was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything special.

Pattern with 而已 After a Longer Phrase

Whenever you need to emphasize that something is just what it is and that's all, you can stick 而已 at the end of the sentence.

Structure

Subj. + (只是 / 就是 / 才 / 仅仅 +) Verb + Obj. + 而已

Again, words like 仅仅 are optional, and add more emphasis.

Examples

  • 只 是 开 个 玩笑 而已,不 要 当 真。zhǐ shì kāi gè wánxiào éryǐ, bùyào dàngzhēn.He's only joking; don't take it seriously.
  • 喝 了 一 瓶 啤酒 而已,怎么 会 喝 醉 了 呢?cái hē le yī píng píjiǔ éryǐ, zěnme huì hē zuì le ne?You only drank one bottle of beer, h. How could you be drunk?
  • 这 次 会议 没有 达成 具体 的 方案,仅仅 是 在 这 个 问题 上 达成 了 共识 而已Zhè cì huìyì méiyǒu dáchéng jùtǐ de fāng'àn, jǐnjǐn shì zài zhège wèntí shàng dáchéng le gòngshì éryǐ.This meeting did not produce a specific plan of action, only an agreement that there was an issue.
  • 仅仅 是 打了 一 个 电话 而已,我 没有 帮 什么 忙。Jǐnjǐn shì dǎ le yī gè diànhuà éryǐ, wǒ méiyǒu bāng shénme máng.All I did was was make a phone call. I didn't help much.
  • 这 辆 车 没 什么 特别 ,它 就 是 辆 普通 的 汽车 而已Zhè liàng chē méi shénme tèbié, tā jiù shì liàng pǔtōng de qìchē éryǐ.This car is nothing special, it's just an ordinary car.

See also

HSK5