而已 (ér yǐ)

Basic Explanation

"而已" (ér yǐ) is a phrase in Chinese that is commonly used to express "that's all" or "and that's it".

Usage

"而已" is used to indicate that something is all or finished. Here are some examples:

• Indicating a completed action:

  Example: 他只是吃了一点面而已。
  (Tā zhǐshì chīle yīdiǎn miàn éryǐ.)
  - He just ate a little noodles, and that's it.

• Indicating limitation of something:

  Example: 这只是个玩笑而已。
  (Zhè zhǐshì gè wánxiào éryǐ.)
  - This is just a joke.

Examples

Here are some example sentences with "而已" to illustrate its usage:

• 她只是生气了一下而已。
  (Tā zhǐshì shēngqìle yīxià éryǐ.)
  - She just got angry for a moment, and that's it.
• 这只是一场误会而已。
  (Zhè zhǐshì yīchǎng wùhuì éryǐ.)
  - It's just a misunderstanding.