しか is used with a negative verb to indicate limits on conditions or quantities
Sentence Structure Pattern
- Noun + しか + Verb (in negative form)
English Meaning
nothing but, nothing else but
Japanese
りんごしか食べない
English
Japanese
1000円しか持っていない。
English
Japanese
今日は3時間しか寝てない。
English
Japanese
ほとんどの日本人は日本語しか話せない。
English
Japanese
ごぼうは日本でしか食べられていないらしい。
English
しかない is used with a verb meaning "to have no choice but to"
Sentence Structure Pattern
- [ Noun ] しかない
- [ Adjective ] しかない
- [ Verb ] しかない
English Meaning
to have no choice but to
The fundamental meaning of "しかない" comes in the format of "〜しかない", where "〜" can be anything. Essentially, it is used to express the absence of anything other than a specific item, action, or situation, or the lack of alternatives.
This "〜" can be filled with a noun, adjective, or verb.
Japanese
仕事を続けるしかない
English
Japanese
クレジットカードしかない
English
Japanese
残り10分しかない。
English