# Expressing "only if" with "只有"

<SentenceQuiz>

- _只有_ 努力 _才_ 能 做 好 工作。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ nǔlì _cái_ néng zuò hǎo gōngzuò. -->
  - Only if you work hard is it possible to do a good job.
- _只有_ 多 吃饭 _才_ 能 长高。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ duō chīfàn _cái_ néng zhǎng gāo. -->
  - Only if you eat more will you be able to grow tall.
- _只有_ 多 说，你的 中文 _才_ 会 提高。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ duō shuō, nǐ de Zhōngwén _cái_ huì tígāo. -->
  - Only if you speak more will your Chinese improve.
- _只有_ 大家 一起 做 _才_ 能 成功。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ dàjiā yīqǐ zuò _cái_ néng chénggōng. -->
  - Only if everyone works together can we succeed.
- _只有_ 写 完 你的 作业 _才_ 能 看 电视。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ xiě wán nǐ de zuòyè _cái_ néng kàn diànshì. -->
  - Only if you finish your homework can you watch TV.
- _只有_ 妈妈 在 我们 _才_ 能 出去 玩。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ māma zài wǒmen _cái_ néng chūqù wán. -->
  - Only if Mom is here can we go out and play.
- _只有_ 每天 跑步，你的 身体 _才_ 会 健康。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ měi tiān pǎobù, nǐ de shēntǐ _cái_ huì jiànkāng. -->
  - Only if you go running every day can you have a healthy body.
- _只有_ 老板 同意 这个 建议，我们 _才_ 能 做。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ lǎobǎn tóngyì zhège jiànyì, wǒmen _cái_ néng zuò. -->
  - We can only do this if the boss agrees with the suggestion.
- _只有_ 你 吃 过 了，你 _才_ 能 说 好 不 好吃。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ nǐ chī guò le, nǐ _cái_ néng shuō hǎo bu hǎochī. -->
  - You can only tell if it's good or not if you have eaten it before.
- _只有_ 学习 了 拼音，你 _才_ 能 更 好 地 学 汉字。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ xuéxí le pīnyīn, nǐ _cái_ néng gèng hǎo de xué hànzì. -->
  - Only if you have learned pinyin can you learn Chinese characters better.
- 你 _才 是_ 笨蛋 ！
  <!-- - Nǐ _cái shì_ bèndàn! -->
  - YOU're the idiot!
- 在 某些 西方 国家 里 ， 白人 _才 是_ 真正 的 西方人 。 我 不 同意 。
  <!-- - Zài mǒuxiē xīfāng guójiā lǐ, báirén _cái shì_ zhēnzhèng de xīfāngrén. Wǒ bù tóngyì. -->
  - In some western countries, it's only white people that are the "real" westerners. I don't agree.

</SentenceQuiz>

<TOC>

- Level: [B2](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B2_grammar_points) / [HSK3](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK3_grammar_points)
- Similar to
  - [Expressing "if" with "如果... 的话"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22if%22_with_%22ruguo..._dehua%22) (B1)
  - [Expressing "if... then..." with "如果... 就..."](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22if..._then...%22_with_%22ruguo..._jiu...%22) (B1)
  - [Expressing "as long as" with "只要"](./只要.md) (B2)
  - [Expressing "once...then..." with "一旦...就..."](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22once...then...%22_with_%22yidan...jiu...%22) (B2)
- Used for: [Indicating conditions](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Indicating_conditions), [Indicating cause and effect](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Indicating_cause_and_effect)
- Keywords: [才](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%89%8D), [只](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%8F%AA), [只有](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%8F%AA%E6%9C%89)

</TOC>

只有 (zhǐyǒu) means "only if," and is used with 才 (cái) to emphasize that _only one_ course of action will bring about the desired outcome.

## Full Pattern with 只有 and 才

### Structure

只有 + Essential Condition + 才 (能) + Desired Outcome

Note that 才 is often followed by 能, but not always. This pattern is usually used for hypothetical situations, and is used what is in logic called a "[necessary and sufficient condition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity_and_sufficiency)," meaning "if and only if...."

### Examples

- _只有_ 努力 _才_ 能 做 好 工作。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ nǔlì _cái_ néng zuò hǎo gōngzuò. -->
  - Only if you work hard is it possible to do a good job.
- _只有_ 多 吃饭 _才_ 能 长高。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ duō chīfàn _cái_ néng zhǎng gāo. -->
  - Only if you eat more will you be able to grow tall.
- _只有_ 多 说，你的 中文 _才_ 会 提高。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ duō shuō, nǐ de Zhōngwén _cái_ huì tígāo. -->
  - Only if you speak more will your Chinese improve.
- _只有_ 大家 一起 做 _才_ 能 成功。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ dàjiā yīqǐ zuò _cái_ néng chénggōng. -->
  - Only if everyone works together can we succeed.
- _只有_ 写 完 你的 作业 _才_ 能 看 电视。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ xiě wán nǐ de zuòyè _cái_ néng kàn diànshì. -->
  - Only if you finish your homework can you watch TV.
- _只有_ 妈妈 在 我们 _才_ 能 出去 玩。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ māma zài wǒmen _cái_ néng chūqù wán. -->
  - Only if Mom is here can we go out and play.
- _只有_ 每天 跑步，你的 身体 _才_ 会 健康。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ měi tiān pǎobù, nǐ de shēntǐ _cái_ huì jiànkāng. -->
  - Only if you go running every day can you have a healthy body.
- _只有_ 老板 同意 这个 建议，我们 _才_ 能 做。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ lǎobǎn tóngyì zhège jiànyì, wǒmen _cái_ néng zuò. -->
  - We can only do this if the boss agrees with the suggestion.
- _只有_ 你 吃 过 了，你 _才_ 能 说 好 不 好吃。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ nǐ chī guò le, nǐ _cái_ néng shuō hǎo bu hǎochī. -->
  - You can only tell if it's good or not if you have eaten it before.
- _只有_ 学习 了 拼音，你 _才_ 能 更 好 地 学 汉字。
  <!-- - _Zhǐyǒu_ xuéxí le pīnyīn, nǐ _cái_ néng gèng hǎo de xué hànzì. -->
  - Only if you have learned pinyin can you learn Chinese characters better.

Note that for each of these examples, events have _not_ already occurred. If they have, consider using the ["only after" 才 pattern](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22only_after%22_with_%22cai%22) which doesn't use 只有.

## Short Form with 才 Only

This is one of the simpler [才](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%89%8D) patterns, providing a way to emphasize that it's _THIS_ one (_not_ THAT one). There's no "only if" here, but the 只有 is still implied in Chinese (meaning "it is only"). While this pattern has many uses, one of the most common (and most childish) is as a not-so-witty comeback, in the form of, "no, _YOU_ are!"

### Structure

Noun + 才 + Verb Phrase⋯⋯

### Examples

- 你 _才 是_ 笨蛋 ！
  <!-- - Nǐ _cái shì_ bèndàn! -->
  - YOU're the idiot!
- 在 某些 西方 国家 里 ， 白人 _才 是_ 真正 的 西方人 。 我 不 同意 。
  <!-- - Zài mǒuxiē xīfāng guójiā lǐ, báirén _cái shì_ zhēnzhèng de xīfāngrén. Wǒ bù tóngyì. -->
  - In some western countries, it's only white people that are the "real" westerners. I don't agree.

## See also

- ["As long as" with "只要"](./只要.md)
- ["If…, then…" with "如果…, 就…"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22If%E2%80%A6,_then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22ruguo%E2%80%A6,_jiu%E2%80%A6%22)

## Sources and further reading

### Books

- [HSK Standard Course 3](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK_Standard_Course_3) (pp. 172) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) ](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_4_(%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%BE%E6%9C%AC4)>) (pp. 42) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [卓越汉语－公司实战篇](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%8D%93%E8%B6%8A%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%EF%BC%8D%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%E5%AE%9E%E6%88%98%E7%AF%87) (pp. 113) [卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy](http://amzn.to/2z4g8q6,)
- [40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册）](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/40_Lessons_for_Basic_Chinese_Course_(%E5%9F%BA%E7%A1%80%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD40%E8%AF%BE%E4%B8%8B%E5%86%8C%EF%BC%89) (pp. 516) [ →buy]

### Websites

- Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary [只 and 只有](http://comet.cls.yale.edu/chineseusagedictionary/0127.html)
- Wikipedia: [Necessity and sufficiency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity_and_sufficiency)