しか〜ない details
Examples
nothing but; no more than — restricts to N and paints everything beyond it as missing
財布に百円しかないよ。
saifu ni hyakuen shika nai yo.
I've only got a hundred yen in my wallet. casual
説明会には十人しか来ませんでした。
setsumeikai ni wa juunin shika kimasen deshita.
Only ten people came to the information session. neutral
当店では現金しかお使いいただけません。
touten de wa genkin shika o tsukai itadakemasen.
Our shop accepts cash only. formal
Formation
Nしか…ないattaches to noun phrase (schematic)
Notes
Related patterns
Similar
Opposite polarity hosts for a near-identical surface meaning — しか is ungrammatical without a negative predicate, ばかり needs a positive one; 野菜しか食べない states a restriction, 野菜ばかり食べている criticizes a skew.
Both restrict to N, but だけ rides a positive predicate and states the limit flatly while しか demands a negative one and frames the rest as a shortfall — 千円だけある is bookkeeping, 千円しかない is a complaint.