In English, "only three times" sounds perfectly fine. In Japanese, expressing the same idea requires a negative construction: しか + negative verb. Literally, it means "nothing except three times," but the actual meaning is simply "only three times."
Core Pattern
Quantity/Noun + しか + Negative Verb
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 月に３回しかしません。 | I only do it three times a month. |
| 100円しかありません。 | I only have 100 yen. |
| 日本語しかわかりません。 | I only understand Japanese. |
| 水しか飲みません。 | I only drink water. |
Note: The verb after しか must be in negative form (ません / ない). Using a positive form makes the sentence ungrammatical.
しか Replaces を and が
When しか attaches to a noun, it pushes out the particles を and が:
| Original | With しか | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 水を飲みます | 水しか飲みません | を replaced by しか |
| お金があります | お金しかありません | が replaced by しか |
However, に, で, へ and similar particles are kept, with しか added after them:
| Original | With しか |
|---|---|
| 学校に行きます | 学校にしか行きません |
| 家で勉強します | 家でしか勉強しません |
しか vs だけ
Japanese has another word for "only" — だけ. Here's how they differ:
| しか + Negative | だけ + Positive | |
|---|---|---|
| Nuance | Dissatisfaction / emphasizing scarcity | Neutral statement |
| Example | 100円しかありません | 100円だけあります |
| Feeling | I only have 100 yen (not enough!) | I have 100 yen (just stating) |
しか carries an emotional tone of "too little, not enough" — the speaker finds the amount unsatisfactory. だけ is neutral, simply stating "this much and no more."
Compare:
月に３回しか行きません。 → I only go three times a month. (wish it were more) 月に３回だけ行きます。 → I go just three times a month. (neutral fact)
Both translate similarly in English, but the Japanese tone is quite different.
Summary
- しか + negative = only... (with a "too little" nuance)
- しか must be followed by a negative verb
- しか replaces を and が, but keeps に, で, へ (adding after them)
- しか (dissatisfied) vs だけ (neutral)
Practice Questions
Q1. Translate: "I only have 500 yen." (Use しか, with a "not enough" tone.)
Show Answer
500円しかありません。
しか replaces が, and the verb must be negative: ありません.
Q2. What does 「水しか飲みません」 mean?
Show Answer
I only drink water.
Literally: "I don't drink anything except water." しか replaced を, and the verb is in negative form 飲みません.
Q3. What's the difference between 「100円しかありません」 and 「100円だけあります」?
Show Answer
Both mean "I only have 100 yen," but the tone differs:
- しかありません → I only have 100 yen (it's not enough, I'm dissatisfied)
- だけあります → I have 100 yen (neutral statement of fact)
しか carries emotional weight; だけ is neutral.