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不是……而是……

It's not A, but B

HSK 3 · 4 examples

Speed

This structure corrects a misunderstanding: 不是 rejects the wrong idea, 而是 supplies the right one.

It is common in writing and in careful speech, when a plain 不 would sound too blunt.

Examples

，。

It's not that he can't, it's that he doesn't want to.

，。

The problem isn't the difficulty; it's that we have no time.

，。

What I like isn't the smell of the tea but the quiet of drinking it.

，。

He isn't my teacher; he's my classmate.

Watch out

  • Both halves must be the same kind of thing — two nouns, two verbs, or two clauses.
  • In casual speech people just say 不是…，是…。

Words in these examples

All 26 words used in the examples above — tap any word in an example to look it up in place. Words above this level are marked new .

  • 他tāHSK 1other, another; he, she, it
  • 不bùHSK 1no, not; un-; negative prefix
  • 是shìHSK 1indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that
  • 会huìHSK 1assemble, meet together; meeting
  • 而是ér shìnewrather
  • 想xiǎngHSK 1think, speculate, plan, consider
  • 做zuòHSK 1work, make; act
  • 这zhèHSK 1this, the, here
  • 个gèHSK 1numerary adjunct, piece; single
  • 问题wèn tíHSK 2question; problem; issue; topic
  • 难nánHSK 1difficult, arduous, hard; unable
  • 我们wǒ menHSK 1we; us; ourselves; our
  • 没有méi yǒuHSK 1haven't; hasn't; doesn't exist; to not have; to not be
  • 时间shí jiānHSK 1time; period
  • 我wǒHSK 1our, us, i, me, my, we
  • 喜欢xǐ huanHSK 1to like; to be fond of
  • 的deHSK 1possessive, adjectival suffix
  • 茶cháHSK 1tea
  • 香味xiāng wèinewfragrance; bouquet; sweet smell
  • 喝hēHSK 1drink; shout, call out
  • 时shíHSK 1time, season; era, age, period
  • 那nàHSK 1that, that one, those
  • 种zhǒngHSK 3seed; race, breed; to plant
  • 安静ān jìngHSK 2quiet; peaceful; calm
  • 老师lǎo shīHSK 1teacher
  • 同学tóng xuéHSK 1to study at the same school; fellow student; classmate

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