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How to say “had to” in Chinese with 只好 (zhǐhǎo)

Subj. + 只好 (zhǐhǎo) + Verb Phrase

Declaring the only option with "只好 (zhǐhǎo)"

HSK 4Adverbs

Rule structure

只好 (zhǐhǎo) expresses that someone has no choice but to do something; "the only option is to…". It implies unwillingness but necessity.

Examples

没有别的办法，只好放弃。

Méiyǒu biéde bànfǎ, zhǐhǎo fàngqì.

There’s no other way, so I had to give up.

Practice

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Frequently asked questions

How do you express “Declaring the only option with "只好 (zhǐhǎo)"” in Chinese?

Use the structure: Subj. + 只好 (zhǐhǎo) + Verb Phrase. For example: 没有别的办法，只好放弃。 — “There’s no other way, so I had to give up.”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

没有别的办法，只好放弃。 — “There’s no other way, so I had to give up.”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 4.

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More HSK 4 grammar rules

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Expressing "to make certain" with "千万 (qiānwàn)"

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Coincidence with "正好 (zhènghǎo)"

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Expressing "have to" with "不得不 (bùdébù)"

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Using "也 (yě)" and "都 (dōu)" together

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Expressing "in the end" with "究竟 (jiūjìng)"

究竟 (jiūjìng) + Question word / Question

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恐怕 (kǒngpà) + Clause

Expressing "never / ever in negative contexts" with "从来 (cónglái)"

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