📖 Meaning
It means 'that's all there is to it' or 'nothing more than this.' The phrase is used to downplay or dismiss something, indicating that a matter is simply as stated and no more complicated or significant than that.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Warring States period text 'Mencius: Jin Xin I' (《孟子·尽心上》), attributed to the Confucian philosopher Mencius (Mengzi). In the passage, Mencius advises: 'Do not do what you ought not to do, and do not desire what you ought not to desire — that is all.' The closing phrase '如此而已矣' was later shortened to '如此而已', becoming a standalone idiom used to conclude a statement with a sense of finality and simplicity.
💡 Example Usage
我只是想帮你，如此而已。
I just wanted to help you, that's all.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 如此而已
- Pinyin: rú cǐ ér yǐ
- Literal Translation: like this, that's all
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4