How common it is
限制 appears often in everyday Chinese, so it is worth practicing early and reviewing often.
Pronunciation focus
Say xiàn zhì slowly first, then repeat it in a short phrase. Listen for the tone shape.
Usage note
“限制”意思是规定一个范围，不能超过。
“Xiàn zhì” yìsi shì guīdìng yī gè fànwéi, bùnéng chāoguò.
"Limit" means to set a range that cannot be exceeded.
Context note
学校限制学生每天看电视的时间，这样大家有更多时间学习。
Xuéxiào xiànzhì xuéshēng měitiān kàn diànshì de shíjiān, zhèyàng dàjiā yǒu gèng duō shíjiān xuéxí.
The school limits the time students watch TV each day, so everyone has more time to study.
5 examples
妈妈限制我吃糖的数量。
mā ma xiàn zhì wǒ chī táng de shù liàng。
Mom limits the amount of candy I eat.
图书馆限制一次借五本书。
tú shū guǎn xiàn zhì yí cì jiè wǔ běn shū。
The library limits borrowing five books at a time.
游戏时间限制为一小时。
yóu xì shí jiān xiàn zhì wèi yì xiǎo shí。
Game time is limited to one hour.
公园限制宠物进入某些区域。
gōng yuán xiàn zhì chǒng wù jìn rù mǒu xiē qū yù。
The park limits pets from entering certain areas.
速度限制是每小时三十公里。
sù dù xiàn zhì shì měi xiǎo shí sān shí gōng lǐ。
The speed limit is thirty kilometers per hour.
5 mini stories
爸爸限制小明每天只能吃一块巧克力。小明觉得很公平。
bà ba xiàn zhì xiǎo míng měi tiān zhǐ néng chī yí kuài qiǎo kè lì。 xiǎo míng jué de hěn gōng píng。
Dad limits Xiao Ming to only one piece of chocolate per day. Xiao Ming thinks it's fair.
学校限制上课时不能玩手机。大家认真听讲。
xué xiào xiàn zhì shàng kè shí bù néng wán shǒu jī。 dà jiā rèn zhēn tīng jiǎng。
The school limits phone use during class. Everyone listens carefully.
妈妈限制我每天只能看半小时动画片。我按时关电视。
mā ma xiàn zhì wǒ měi tiān zhǐ néng kàn bàn xiǎo shí dòng huà piàn。 wǒ àn shí guān diàn shì。
Mom limits me to only half an hour of cartoons each day. I turn off the TV on time.
游乐场限制身高不到一米的小朋友不能玩过山车。小华等长大再玩。
yóu lè chǎng xiàn zhì shēn gāo bú dào yì mǐ de xiǎo péng yǒu bù néng wán guò shān chē。 xiǎo huá děng zhǎng dà zài wán。
The amusement park limits children under one meter tall from riding the roller coaster. Xiao Hua will wait until he grows up.
老师限制每组只能有四个同学。大家分组做游戏。
lǎo shī xiàn zhì měi zǔ zhǐ néng yǒu sì gè tóng xué。 dà jiā fēn zǔ zuò yóu xì。
The teacher limits each group to only four students. Everyone forms groups to play games.