しかないHave no choice but, Only, Just

しかない is a commonly used expression in Japanese that is partnered with verbs. It is a combination of しか, the adverbial particle, and the い-Adjective ない. This structure may be translated as 'to have no choice but (A)', or 'there is only (A)'. しかない regularly emphasizes the point that nothing apart from (A) is possible.

To use しかない, simply attach it directly to the non-past form of whichever verb you would like to highlight as being the 'only' possible action.

Unlike だけ, which implies that one particular option was chosen (out of several), しか always insinuates that (A) is the only option, and therefore will sound much stronger than だけ. Also, as only one option exists, it will often be assumed by the listener that some particular circumstances resulted in (A) being all that can be done.

Fun Fact

Occasionally, しかない may be used in manga, anime, or other forms of media that use casual language. In these cases, it is not uncommon to see しか abbreviated to っきゃ, resulting in っきゃない. However, this is not a common abbreviation in daily language.