しか～ないOnly; no more than
しか～ない marks the expression before it as the only person, thing, place, or amount that applies. The rest of the sentence must be grammatically negative, although the natural English translation is often affirmative: “only.”
How the pattern works
Place しか immediately after the exact expression you want to limit. Japanese then describes everything outside that limit negatively: in effect, “nothing or nobody except this.” English usually expresses the same idea more naturally with “only.”
Limiting people, objects, and amounts
When another particle is needed
Particles such as に and で remain before しか when they clarify the role of the limited expression. This lets you say “only to that person,” “only at that place,” or similar meanings.
With destination and location particles
A more neutral limit
だけ can state a neutral boundary and does not require a negative ending. By contrast, しか～ない excludes everything else through a negative form and more readily suggests that the limit matters.
入場できるのは会員だけです。
Admission is limited to members.
AnalyzeThis is a neutral statement of the rule, with an affirmative ending.
More examples
昨夜は水しか飲みませんでした。
Last night, I drank only water.
Analyze私しかその事実を知りません。
Only I know that fact.
Analyzeここからは海しか見えない。
From here, you can see only the sea.
Analyze週末にしか時間がありません。
I only have time on the weekend.
Analyzeこのビデオは教室でしか見られません。
This video can only be viewed in the classroom.
Analyzeりんごはあと二つしか残っていません。
There are only two apples left.
Analyzeこの仕事は佐藤さんにしか頼めません。
I can only ask Mr. Sato to do this job.
Analyze