しか

See also: しが, じか, and じが

Japanese

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Alternative forms

• しきゃ (shikya), っきゃ (kkya)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しか [shìká] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɕi̥ka̠]

• Audio:

  (file)

Particle

しか • (shika) 

1. (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”)

2. (sentence ending particle) Used to express one's desire.

   Synonym: しが

Usage notes

• 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 kawanai

  Only 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.

Etymology 2

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) Alternative spelling シカ

(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.)

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of しか – see the following entries.

【史家】 [noun] historian

【歯科】 [noun] dentistry [noun] (by extension) a dentist's office

【詩歌】 [noun] (obsolete) Japanese and Chinese poetry [noun] (poetry, obsolete) a rhymed poem (Can we verify(+) this sense?)

【雌花】 [noun] Synonym of 雌花 (shika, “pistillate flower; a flower with pistils but no stamens; a female flower”)

【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, 賜暇, 子夏.)

Etymology 4

Suffix

しか • (-shika) 

1. (Classical Japanese) realis form of き (ki, “-ed [past tense indicator]”)