Merely / just (而已)

Structure （只是 / 不过 …）+ clause + 而已

而已 (éryǐ) is a "… and nothing more" that’s a bit more written than 罢了, with which it’s nearly interchangeable. 这只是一个开始而已 = "this is merely a beginning". Like 罢了, it usually leans on 只是/不过. It scales what’s said down to "just that, no more, no less".

Examples

这zhè只zhǐ是shì一yī个ge开kāi始shǐ而ér已yǐ。
This is merely a beginning.
他tā不bù过guò是shì个ge孩hái子zi而ér已yǐ。
He’s just a child, that’s all.
我wǒ只zhǐ是shì说shuō出chū了le事shì实shí而ér已yǐ。
I merely stated the truth, nothing more.

Levels are indicative: they follow the standard Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning) progression, not an official HSK 3.0 mapping. We never assign levels by eye.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.