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HSK 3

范围、协同副词：光、仅、仅仅、就、至少

fàn wéi 、 xié tóng fù cí ： guāng 、 jǐn 、 jǐn jǐn 、 jiù 、 zhì shǎo

Adverbs of scope and restriction: 光, 仅, 仅仅, 就, 至少

Explanation

This is the group of adverbs (adverb → a word that modifies a verb or adjective) used to limit scope or quantity: 光 (guāng), 仅 (jǐn), 仅仅 (jǐnjǐn), 就 (jiù), 至少 (zhìshǎo – at least).

Structure

subject (subject → the person or thing performing the action, standing at the start of the sentence) + 光/仅/仅仅/就 + verb or quantity phrase. 光/仅/仅仅/就 all mean "only" and stand before the part being limited; 至少 stands before a number to state the minimum level.

When to use

when you want to say "there is only... and nothing more" (仅有五个学生 – only five students), emphasizing a small quantity, or to state a minimum limit with 至少.

Distinguish

光 leans toward colloquial speech and often carries a critical tone (光玩不学习 – only playing, not studying); 仅/仅仅 are more formal and often used in written language; 就 is very colloquial and often goes with "一..." to emphasize an extremely small amount (就拿了一支笔).

Common mistakes

光 also means "light" (阳光 (yángguāng) – sunlight) and "used up entirely" (卖光了 (màiguāng le) – sold out); beginners easily confuse them; don't mechanically translate 光 as always meaning "only".

Examples

他每天光玩儿不学习。
tāměitiānguāngwánrbùxuéxí。

Every day he only plays and doesn't study.

今天来上课的仅有五个学生。
jīntiānláishàngkèdejǐnyǒuwǔgèxuéshēng。

Only five students came to class today.

这次旅行仅仅花了三千块。
zhècìlǚxíngjǐnjǐnhuālesānqiānkuài。

This trip cost only three thousand yuan.

我们班就他知道这个消息。
wǒmenbānjiùtāzhīdaozhègexiāoxi。

In our class only he knows this news.

我就拿了一支笔。
wǒjiùnáleyìzhībǐ。

I only took one pen.

教室里至少有五十个人。
jiàoshìlǐzhìshǎoyǒuwǔshígèrén。

There are at least fifty people in the classroom.

Practice

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Learn “范围、协同副词：光、仅、仅仅、就、至少” effectively

The grammar point “范围、协同副词：光、仅、仅仅、就、至少” (Adverbs of scope and restriction: 光, 仅, 仅仅, 就, 至少) is one of the key structures at HSK 3. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.

Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.

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