only/'əʊnlɪ $ 'oʊn-/

a. without other people or things of the same kind

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➊ used for emphasis to show no more than an amount or number, or not including anyone or anything else

➋ not in any other situation, not in any other way, etc.

➌ used to show sth is not important

a. [仅置于名词前] 唯一的，仅有的：Joe was the only student who passed the exam. 乔是唯一一个通过考试的学生。

◇an only child 独生子女

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➊ 仅仅，只有：[常直接放在强调成分前] Only four people came to the party. 只有4个人来参加聚会。

◇The college student is only 14. 这个大学生只有14岁。

◇The library is for teachers only. 这个图书室是教师专用的。

◇He eats only fruit and vegetables. 他只吃水果和蔬菜。

➋ 仅在…情况下，仅以…方式：[only置于句首时，主谓倒装] Only then did I realize that I had made a mistake. 仅在那时我才意识到我犯了个错误。

➌ 只不过是：It is only a joke. 这只不过是个玩笑。

if only ... 只要…就好了

if

常犯错误

✗ Only here you can experience the excitement of climbing.

✓ Only here can you experience the excitement of climbing. 只有在这儿你才可以体验到登山的兴奋。

常犯错误

✗ Only if Linda goes he will go.

✓ Only if Linda goes will he go. 只有琳达去了，他才会去。

[✌含only的状语（从句）置于句首时，句子或主句的主谓部分须倒装]

常犯错误

✗ I arrived only finding that the others had already left.

✓ I arrived only to find that the others had already left. 我到达时却发现其他人已经走了。

用法only too ... to do sth中的only too意为very，整个结构并非“太…而不能”的意思。如：He was only too glad to help. 他很乐于助人。