▎只有 A，才 B, (zhĭyǒu A, cái B), can not B, unless A

 

Function In this pattern, 只有 introduces a condition, which must be satisfied before the 才 caluse can be carried out.

1 這家旅館，只有三個月前先訂，才訂得到房間。

Zhè jiā lǚguǎn, zhǐyǒu sān ge yuè qián xiān dìng, cái dìngdedào fángjiān.

You can only get a room at this hotel if you make reservations three months in advance.

2 我只有星期六，才有時間倒垃圾。

Wǒ zhǐyǒu xīngqíliù, cái yǒu shíjiān dào lèsè.

I only have time on Saturday to take the garbage out.

3 我家附近只有星期四，才回收汽水罐。

Wǒ jiā fùjìn zhǐyǒu xīngqísì, cái huíshōu qìshuǐ guàn.

In the area where I live, soft drink cans are recycled only on Thursdays.

 

Structures The two subjects in this pattern can be identical or different.

1 很多學生只有打工，才付得起學費。

Hěn duō xuéshēng zhǐyǒu dǎgōng, cái fùdeqǐ xuéfèi.

Many students can only afford to pay tuition by working part time.

2 你只有多休息，病才會好得快一點。

Nǐ zhǐyǒu duō xiūxí, bìng cái huì hǎo de kuài yìdiǎn.

You have to get a lot of rest. Only then will you get well more quickly. (i.e., You have to get a lot of rest if you want to get well more quickly.)

3 這個地方太吵，老師只有換到別的教室，才能上課。

Zhè ge dìfāng tài chǎo, lǎoshī zhǐyǒu huàn dào biéde jiàoshì, cái néng shàngkè.

This place is too noisy. The teacher can only conduct class if they change to another classroom.

Questions：

1 學生是不是只有考試以前才念書？

Xuéshēng shìbúshì zhǐyǒu kǎoshì yǐqián cái niànshū?

The students only study before tests, right?

2 你是不是只有在學校，才能上網？

Nǐ shìbúshì zhǐyǒu zài xuéxiào, cái néng shàngwǎng?

You can only get online at school, right?

3 你們只有週末，才有時間練習太極拳嗎？

Nǐmen zhǐyǒu zhōumò, cái yǒu shíjiān liànxí Tàijí quán ma?

You only have time to practice Tai Chi on the weekends, right?

 

Usage ‘只有 A，才 B’ and ‘只要 A，就 B’ both indicate conditionals. However, in ‘只有 A，才 B’ the said condition is (in the speaker’s view) harder to meet. On the other hand, in ‘只要 A，就 B’ the condition is not that difficult to attain. Compare the following examples.

1 只有懂法文，才能到那家公司工作。(few people understand French)

Zhǐyǒu dǒng Fǎwén, cái néng dào nà jiā gōngsī gōngzuò.

Only if you understand French can you work at that company.

2 只要懂法文，就能到那家公司工作。(many people unterstand French)

Zhǐyào dǒng Fǎwén, jiù néng dào nà jiā gōngsī gōngzuò.

If you understand French, you can work at that company.