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Only A; no more than A
  1. Only A; no more than A
  2. There's only A; Only A can be done; Only A (of many methods)
プ リ ン が 一ひとつ し か ない ！ も っ と 欲ほし い よ ！ 
There's only one pudding! I wanted more!
19
緊 張 し す ぎ て 、 オヤジギャグ し か 言 え ま せ ん 。 
I'm too nervous: all I can say are dad jokes.
25
すみません が 、 日 本 語 の 名 刺 し か 持 っ て い な い ん で す け ど 。 
Sorry, I only have a Japanese (-language) business card.
16
ヨーロッパ に 一 回 し か 行 っ た こと が ありません 。 
I've only been to Europe once.
31
作 文 を 一 枚 しか 書 き ま せ ん で し た 。 
I've only written one page of the essay.

Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
ANoun (number/object)
しか
BVerb (ない form)
Basic Examples:
一つしかない (there's only one)

Notes
This is used when the given amount is less than normal/average.
Related Expressions
だけ
Where this grammar is found


User notes
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勇気のハナ
Level: 162
(11 months ago)

Putting emphasis on the negativeness. Similar to "not more than" or dont (verb eg:hold) more than (noun eg:1000yen).

can be similar to shikata nai - no other way

1
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mysticfive
Level: 1597
(13 years ago)
in contrast with だけ, this pattern confers regret for the small amount, whereas だけ is more neutral. For example, １人しかパーティーに来なかった would show sadness that only one person showed up at the party, whereas １人だけパーティーに来た shows no emotion.
29
 
There's only A; Only A can be done; Only A (of many methods)
  1. Only A; no more than A
  2. There's only A; Only A can be done; Only A (of many methods)
29
思 っ た よ り 早 く 着 い た か ら 店 が 開 店 する まで 待 つ し か ない 。 
As we arrived earlier than expected we now can only wait until the shop opens.
22
彼 女 に 騙 さ れ て し ま っ た の で 別 れ る し か ない で す 。 
I was deceived by her, so there is nothing to do but go our separate ways.
22
パ ソ コ ン が 壊 れ そ う な の で 、 この 手 紙 は 手 で 書 く し か ない 。 
The computer seems to be broken, so I have to write this letter by hand (that's all I can do).
8
この 儘 で は 家 賃 を 払 え な い し 、 この 家 を 出 て い く し か ない 。 
I can't pay rent as things are, so all I can do is vacate this house.
10
彼 の こと を 好 き に な っ て し ま っ た か ら 告 白 する し か ない 。 
I've fallen for him so I'm left with confessing to him.
13
財 布 を 忘 れ た か ら 家 に 戻 る し か ない 。 
I forgot my wallet so I have no choice but to return home.

Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
AVerb: Dictionary Form
しか
ない
Basic Examples:
我慢するしかない (no choice but to suck it up)

Related Expressions
だけ
Where this grammar is found


User notes
avatar
sod
Level: 42
(14 years ago)
used in a situation where the speaker has no choice but to do something and implies the speakers unwillingness to do it.
17

Discussion about this grammar
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unfoldingdrama
Level: 7
Is the form of this structure that uses the noun form on this site also?
0
15 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 261
Yes, and I put them both on the same page (just need to correct the jlpt markers on this page).
0
15 years ago
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iparker
Level: 1
The model sentence for the first meaning of しかない does not fall in line with it's grammar construction Noun + しかない。
0
15 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 261
Thanks - fixed that up, and went ahead and added a few more model sentences to help out :)
0
15 years ago
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mireille
Level: 1
Dictionary form verb + しかない is also possible

試験を受けるからには、頑張るしかない。 (Unicom)

Edit: Nevermind. It's already there.
0
14 years ago
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無風
Level: 3
For some reason, in the first usage, second example sentence, there is 住みません for 済みません・すみません. Otherwise, should that か which follows not be が？
0
14 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 261
Thanks! In the future, if you see an error, you can hit the 'something incorrect' link and suggest a correction from there!
0
14 years ago
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無風
Level: 3
Ah right, sure
0
14 years ago
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テリフン
Level: 1
Just wondering, can the second form be used in sarcasm? For example: "誰もいないね。このケーキを食べるしかないね。" Also, I noticed some of the sentences end in しかないだ　while others just end in the しかない. That confuses me a little...
0
12 years ago
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emmy
Level: 3
Yes, you can use しかない as per your example sentence. As for the だ: ない here is just ありません or the negative form of the verb you're using so the same rules apply as when you're using the negative form in other sentence constructs. Did that answer your question? :o
0
12 years ago
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テリフン
Level: 1
Well, I mean, like in the example sentences, why does the first one end with "待つしかない" and the second one end with わかれるしかない[color=red]だ[/color]?
1
12 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 261
Should not be there, removing it now!
1
12 years ago
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マドゥリ
Level: 1
Shouldn't the title be しか~ない rather than しかない, since the ない form of any verb can be inserted?
1
11 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 261
Updated!
0
11 years ago
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ポリナ
Level: 1
Hmmm, I don't quite get it. The explanation says one needs to use a verb in nai-form, but then there is an example like 作ぶんを一まいしか書きませんでした。 Is this 書きませんでした also a nai-form of a verb? Sorry, if that's a silly question, I just got a bit confused.
0
11 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 261
it is the polite form of the negative. For 書く, you've got 書かない (short negative) 書きません (polite negative) The でした is the past tense. Teeeeechincally, only the first is the 'ない' form, but it would take up too much space to add every negative form. Maybe ..use 'Negative form' in the box in the future.
1
11 years ago
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ターラ
Level: 39
I got tripped up on a grammar question relating to this - I commented in the quiz but it seems worth mentioning here too. 
Of the given options, 5冊しかの本 was incorrect, it seems the correct answer is 5冊しか本. Is this a separate usage which isn't listed above? I couldn't find any specific information about it.
0
6 years ago
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gdartfow
Level: 1484
It's hard to say without seeing the full sentence, but I imagine it was something like the following from the site's library: 私は、１０冊しか本を持っていない。 (I have no more than ten books)
If that's the case, this falls under the first usage.

It's easier to understand if you think of しか as describing the action/verb.
For instance in 一枚しか作文を書きませんでした (I've only written one page of the essay) from above, "one page" describes how much I've written, not the essay itself, so 一枚しかの作文 would be wrong.
Likewise, in 彼しか事実を知らない (only he knows the truth), "he" describes who knows and not some aspect of the truth, so 彼しかの事実 would also be wrong.
I hope this somewhat helped clear up the confusion.
0
6 years ago
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ヤツ様
Level: 1
It is like related to ~ばかり文型 or ~だけ文型, right? Used to express that there's no other option, hence one has to stick to that option, right?
0
5 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 261
I wouldn't say it's quite similar to だけ. The way I think of them is that だけ means "only", without any suggestion that it is a smaller than expected/normal amount.

You are right in that only that option exists, so one is "stuck to it" - but this only applies to しか.
0
5 years ago
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Karlla
Level: 892

#2 This English translation has a typo:

思ったより早く着いたから店が開店するまで待つしかない。
As were arrived earlier than expected we now can only wait until the shop opens.

0
4 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 261

Fixed, thanks!

0
4 years ago
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Kalamisanos
Level: 71

Hello!

I do not understand this grammar very well yet but I want to make sure if I understand this specific difference between these two sentences.

この仕事ができるのは彼女しかいない。

この仕事ができるのは彼女しかない。


The first is the correct one and the second the wrong one, because it is missing the い.

Is the いない the negative of いる and that is why the second sentence is wrong? Because in the end the is no verb in the sentence?


The other example is すみませんが、日本語の名刺しか持っていないんですけど。

So 持っていない is the negative of 持っている ?

I really need to study the conjugations more.

To be honest this grammar point is a little tough for starter grammar but at least it's the only one that gives me a difficult time every time I see it.


Thank you for your time!

0
12 months ago
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Anonymous123
Level: 1195
Kalamisanos は 04月 30日, 2:18に

Hello!

I do not understand this grammar very well yet but I want to make sure if I understand this specific difference between these two sentences.

この仕事ができるのは彼女しかいない。

この仕事ができるのは彼女しかない。


The first is the correct one and the second the wrong one, because it is missing the い.

Is the いない the negative of いる and that is why the second sentence is wrong? Because in the end the is no verb in the sentence?

The other example is すみませんが、日本語の名刺しか持っていないんですけど。

So 持っていない is the negative of 持っている ?

I really need to study the conjugations more.

To be honest this grammar point is a little tough for starter grammar but at least it's the only one that gives me a difficult time every time I see it.

Thank you for your time!

と言いました。

Both いない and ない are negative forms of verbs. いない is the negative form of いる (existential verb for living things), while ない is the negative form of ある (existential verb for non-living things). 彼女 is a living thing, so you want to use いない there.

Here's an example where we would use しかない.

今週 の 授業 は 数学 しかない。The only class this week is math

数学 (math) is not a living thing, so we use ない.

持っていない is indeed the negative form of 持っている

1
12 months ago
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Kalamisanos
Level: 71

Oh yes ない is the negative of ある!

I really need to focus on conjugations and I think it is time to start the conjugation drills there are here.

Thanks for the clarification!

1
12 months ago
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