(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium .)
しか • (shika )
( binding particle ) nothing but , only ( followed by negative verb )
頑( がん ) 張( ば ) るしか ない。Ganbaru shika nai. All we can do is keep on trying our best. (literally, “There is nothing but trying our best.”)
品質( ひんしつ ) が高( たか ) すぎて本( ほん ) 物( もの ) にしか 見( み ) え ない。Hinshitsu ga takasugite honmono ni shika mienai. The quality is so high that it looks just like the real thing. (literally, “The quality is so high that I can't see it as anything except the real thing.”)
曖( あい ) 昧( まい ) にしか 語( かた ) ら なかったaimai ni shika kataranakatta only spoke vaguely(literally, “did not speak except vaguely”)
( sentence ending particle ) Used to express one's desire .
Synonym: しが
しか ( shika , binding particle ) is always used with a negative verb; as such, another interpretation could be "except for". It directly follows "the thing considered as the only choice", and always comes before the negative particle.
私( わたし ) しかこれを買( か ) わないwatashi shika kore o kawanaiOnly I will buy this.
私( わたし ) はこれ しか買( か ) わないwatashi wa kore shika kawanai I will buy only this .
私( わたし ) はこれを買( か ) う しかないwatashi wa kore o kau shika nai I have to buy this.
For pronunciation and definitions of しか – see the following entries.
【鹿 】 4
[noun] deer
[noun] ( historical ) prostitute in the Osaka licensed quarter whose fee was 16 momme; the grade below the 太夫 ( tayū ) , and the 天神 ( tenjin )
(This term, しか ( shika ) , is the hiragana spelling of the above term.)For a list of all kanji read as しか , see Category:Japanese kanji read as しか .)
(The following entry is uncreated: 然 .)
For pronunciation and definitions of しか – see the following entries.
【歯科 】
[noun] dentistry
[noun] ( by extension ) a dentist's office
【志賀 】
[proper noun] a town in Ishikawa Prefecture , Japan
[proper noun] short for 志賀島 ( Shikanoshima ) , an area north of Fukuoka city
(This term, しか ( shika ) , is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.)For a list of all kanji read as しか , see Category:Japanese kanji read as しか .)
(The following entries are uncreated: 史科 , 四火 , 四果 , 四科 , 市価 , 死火 , 糸価 , 私家 , 知客 , 師家 , 疵瑕 , 紙花 , 紙価 , 翅果 , 詞花 , 詩家 , 雌花 , 賜暇 , 子夏 .)
しか • (-shika )
( Classical Japanese ) realis form of き ( ki , “ -ed [past tense indicator] ” )