How is 只不过 pronounced?

只不过 is pronounced “zhǐ bu guò” in pinyin.

What HSK level is 只不过?

只不过 belongs to HSK 5 in the HSK 3.0 vocabulary.

HSK 5adverb

只不过

Traditional: 只不過

zhǐ bu guò

只不过 (zhǐ bu guò) means “only; merely; nothing but; no more than; it's just that ...”. It is an HSK 5 Chinese word (traditional 只不過) in the HSK 3.0 vocabulary.

How to write 只不过

Practice each character:

只不过

Example

他只不过是开了个玩笑。

Tā zhǐbuguò shì kāi le gè wánxiào.

He merely made a joke.

More HSK 5 vocabulary

HSK 5 →

哎āihey!; (interjection used to attract attention or to express surprise or disapprobation)唉āiinterjection or grunt of agreement or recognition (e.g. yes, it's me!); to sigh 爱护ài hùto cherish; to treasure; to take care of; to love and protect 爱惜ài xīto cherish; to treasure; to use sparingly 爱心ài xīncompassion; kindness; care for others; love; charity (bazaar, golf day etc); heart (the symbol ♥)安慰ān wèito comfort; to console 安装ān zhuāngto install; to erect; to fix; to mount; installation 岸ànvariant of 岸暗ànvariant of 暗熬夜áo yèto stay up late or all night 把握bǎ wòto grasp (also fig.); to seize; to hold; assurance; certainty; sure (of the outcome)摆bǎito arrange; to exhibit; to move to and fro; a pendulum

Frequently asked questions

What does 只不过 mean?: 只不过 (zhǐ bu guò) means “only; merely; nothing but; no more than; it's just that ...”. It is an HSK 5 word.
How is 只不过 pronounced?: 只不过 is pronounced “zhǐ bu guò” in pinyin.
What HSK level is 只不过?: 只不过 belongs to HSK 5 in the HSK 3.0 vocabulary.

Updated: 2026-07-18