Expressing "that's all" with "eryi"

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.

Structure

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.

Subj. + Verb + Obj. + 而已

Examples

• 一 杯 咖啡 而已，不 要 这么 感动。Yī bēi kāfēi éryǐ, bù yào zhème gǎndòng.It's just a cup of coffee, don't be so moved.
• 一千 块 而已？你 不要 说得 这么 容易。Yīqiān kuài éryǐ? nǐ bùyào shuō de zhème róngyì.Only one thousand yuan? Don't make it so easy.
• 他 只 是 开 个 玩笑 而已，不 要 当 真。Tā zhǐ shì kāi gè wánxiào éryǐ, bùyào dàngzhēn.He's only joking, don't take it seriously.
• 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.
• 你 才 喝 了 一 瓶 啤酒 而已，怎么 会 喝 醉 了 呢？Nǐ cái hēle yī píng píjiǔ éryǐ, zěnme huì hē zuìle ne?You just drank one bottle of beer, how can you be drunk?
• 才 一个 问题 而已，她 就 开始 生气 了。 Cái yīgè wèntí éryǐ, tā jiù kāishǐ shēngqì le.There was only one problem, and she started to get angry.
• 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 dáchéngle gòngshì éryǐ.This meeting did not produce a 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 yīgè diànhuà éryǐ, wǒ méiyǒu bāng shénme máng.It was just 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 méishénme tèbié, tā jiù shì liàng pǔtōng de qìchē éryǐ.This car is nothing special, it's just an ordinary car.
• 就是 一个 吻 而已，没有 什么 特别 的意思。Jiùshì yīgè wěn éryǐ, méiyǒu shénme tèbié de yìsi.It's just a kiss, nothing special.

See also

• Expressing "nothing but" with "wufei"

Sources and further reading

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