Difference between revisions of "Expressing "not… but…" with "er shi""
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| − | * | + | *他 <em>不是</em> 中国人，<em>是</em> 美国人 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù shì</em> Zhōngguó rén, <em>shì</em> Měiguó rén.</span><span class="trans">He isn't Chinese, he's American.</span> |
| − | * | + | *那 <em>不是</em> 一 个 问题 ，<em>而是</em> 一 个 机会 。<span class="pinyin">Nà <em>bù shì</em> yī gè wèntí, <em>érshì</em> yī gè jīhuì.</span><span class="trans">That isn't a problem, it's an opportunity.</span> |
| − | *这 个 大楼 <em>不是</em> 公寓，<em>是</em> | + | *这 个 大楼 <em>不是</em> 公寓，<em>是</em> 办公楼 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè gè dàlóu <em>bù shì</em> gōngyù, <em> shì</em> bàngōnglóu.</span><span class="trans">This building isn't an apartment building, it's an office building.</span> |
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Revision as of 02:02, 12 September 2017
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Used for
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Keywords
Sometimes you want to explain that an object, concept, or event isn't one thing, but in fact a different thing. This is the perfect structure to convey that in Chinese.
Structure
"不是⋯⋯， (而)是⋯⋯" (bùshì..., (ér)shì...) is used to clarify something about a certain noun. What's being clarified can be noun phrases or verb phrases.
Subj. + 不是 + Noun 1 ， (而)是 + Noun 2
or
Subj. + 不是 + [Verb Phrase 1] ， (而)是 + [Verb Phrase 2]
An easy way to remember this pattern is that it roughly corresponds to the English, "Something is not X, it's Y."
Examples
- 他 不是 中国人，是 美国人 。He isn't Chinese, he's American.
- 那 不是 一 个 问题 ，而是 一 个 机会 。That isn't a problem, it's an opportunity.
- 这 个 大楼 不是 公寓，是 办公楼 。This building isn't an apartment building, it's an office building.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (p. 277) →buy
