Difference between revisions of "Expressing "not… but…" with "er shi""

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*我觉得 这 <em>不是</em> 麻烦,<em>而是</em> 机会 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde zhè <em>bù shì</em> máfan, <em>ér shì</em> jīhuì.</span><span class="trans">I don't think it's trouble. I think it's an opportunity.</span>
 
*我觉得 这 <em>不是</em> 麻烦,<em>而是</em> 机会 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde zhè <em>bù shì</em> máfan, <em>ér shì</em> jīhuì.</span><span class="trans">I don't think it's trouble. I think it's an opportunity.</span>
*她 <em>不是</em> 不 想 买 ,<em>而是</em> 买不起 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù shì</em> bù xiǎng mǎi, <em>érshì</em> mǎi bu qǐ.</span><span class="trans">It's not that she doesn't want to buy it, it's that she couldn't afford it.</span>
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*她 <em>不是</em> 不 想 买 ,<em>而是</em> 买不起 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù shì</em> bù xiǎng mǎi, <em>ér shì</em> mǎi bu qǐ.</span><span class="trans">It's not that she doesn't want to buy it, it's that she couldn't afford it.</span>
 
*我 没 说 <em>不是</em>  想 骗 你 ,<em>而是</em> 怕 你 不 高兴 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi shuō <em>bù shì</em> xiǎng piàn nǐ, <em>ér shì</em> pà nǐ bù gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">The reason why I didn't tell is not that I wanted to lie to you; it's that I'm afraid you would be upset.</span>
 
*我 没 说 <em>不是</em>  想 骗 你 ,<em>而是</em> 怕 你 不 高兴 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi shuō <em>bù shì</em> xiǎng piàn nǐ, <em>ér shì</em> pà nǐ bù gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">The reason why I didn't tell is not that I wanted to lie to you; it's that I'm afraid you would be upset.</span>
 
*我 <em>不是</em> 八卦 ,<em>是</em> 关心 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù shì</em> bāguà, <em>shì</em> guānxīn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">I'm not gossiping. I'm concerned about you.</span>
 
*我 <em>不是</em> 八卦 ,<em>是</em> 关心 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù shì</em> bāguà, <em>shì</em> guānxīn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">I'm not gossiping. I'm concerned about you.</span>
*我 <em>不 是</em> 不 想 帮 你 ,<em>而 是</em> 没有 能力 帮 你 。<span class="trans">It's not that I don't want to help, it's that I can't help.</span>
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*我 <em>不 是</em> 不 想 帮 你 ,<em>而是</em> 没有 能力 帮 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù shì</em> bù xiǎng bāng nǐ, <em>érshì</em> méiyǒu nénglì bāng nǐ.</span><span class="trans">It's not that I don't want to help, it's that I can't help.</span>
 
*重要 的 <em>不是</em> 你 的 外表 ,<em>而是</em> 你 的 内心 。<span class="pinyin">Zhòngyào de <em>bù shì</em> nǐ de wàibiǎo, <em>ér shì</em> nǐ de nèixīn.</span><span class="trans">What's important is not how you look outside, it's your inside.</span>
 
*重要 的 <em>不是</em> 你 的 外表 ,<em>而是</em> 你 的 内心 。<span class="pinyin">Zhòngyào de <em>bù shì</em> nǐ de wàibiǎo, <em>ér shì</em> nǐ de nèixīn.</span><span class="trans">What's important is not how you look outside, it's your inside.</span>
 
*生活 中 <em>不是</em> 缺少 美 ,<em>而是</em> 缺少 发现 美 的 眼睛 。<span class="pinyin">Shēnghuó zhōng <em>bù shì</em> quēshǎo měi, <em>ér shì</em> quēshǎo fāxiàn měi de yǎnjing.</span><span class="trans">Beauty is found everywhere. To our eyes, it is not a lack of beauty but a lack of discovery.</span>
 
*生活 中 <em>不是</em> 缺少 美 ,<em>而是</em> 缺少 发现 美 的 眼睛 。<span class="pinyin">Shēnghuó zhōng <em>bù shì</em> quēshǎo měi, <em>ér shì</em> quēshǎo fāxiàn měi de yǎnjing.</span><span class="trans">Beauty is found everywhere. To our eyes, it is not a lack of beauty but a lack of discovery.</span>
  
 
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You can also put 不是 in the second half. Note that 而 can't be used in this case.
  
 
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Revision as of 08:24, 25 May 2018

Sometimes you want to explain that an object, concept, or event isn't one thing, but in fact a different thing. 不是⋯⋯, (而)是⋯⋯ (bùshì..., (ér)shì...) is the perfect structure to convey that in Chinese. This is a useful phrase to use in arguments to overturn a point of view and state the opposite.

Structure

An easy way to remember this pattern is that it roughly corresponds to the English, "Something is not X, it's Y."

Subj. + 不是⋯⋯ ,(而)是⋯⋯

Examples

  • 我觉得 这 不是 麻烦,而是 机会 。Wǒ juéde zhè bù shì máfan, ér shì jīhuì.I don't think it's trouble. I think it's an opportunity.
  • 不是 不 想 买 ,而是 买不起 。bù shì bù xiǎng mǎi, ér shì mǎi bu qǐ.It's not that she doesn't want to buy it, it's that she couldn't afford it.
  • 我 没 说 不是 想 骗 你 ,而是 怕 你 不 高兴 。Wǒ méi shuō bù shì xiǎng piàn nǐ, ér shì pà nǐ bù gāoxìng.The reason why I didn't tell is not that I wanted to lie to you; it's that I'm afraid you would be upset.
  • 不是 八卦 , 关心 你 。bù shì bāguà, shì guānxīn nǐ.I'm not gossiping. I'm concerned about you.
  • 不 是 不 想 帮 你 ,而是 没有 能力 帮 你 。bù shì bù xiǎng bāng nǐ, érshì méiyǒu nénglì bāng nǐ.It's not that I don't want to help, it's that I can't help.
  • 重要 的 不是 你 的 外表 ,而是 你 的 内心 。Zhòngyào de bù shì nǐ de wàibiǎo, ér shì nǐ de nèixīn.What's important is not how you look outside, it's your inside.
  • 生活 中 不是 缺少 美 ,而是 缺少 发现 美 的 眼睛 。Shēnghuó zhōng bù shì quēshǎo měi, ér shì quēshǎo fāxiàn měi de yǎnjing.Beauty is found everywhere. To our eyes, it is not a lack of beauty but a lack of discovery.

You can also put 不是 in the second half. Note that 而 can't be used in this case.

Subj. + 是⋯⋯ ,不是⋯⋯

  • 我们 来 办事 的 ,不是 来 玩 的 。Wǒmen shì lái bànshì de, bù shì lái wán de.We're here to do our job, not to have fun.
  • 你 这样 做 害 他 ,不是 帮 他 。Nǐ zhèyàng zuò shì hài tā, bù shì bāng tā.You were hurting him by doing this, not helping him.
  • 不好意思 ,我 不 小心 ,不是 故意 的 。Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ shì bù xiǎoxīn, bù shì gùyì de.I'm sorry. It was an innocent mistake. I didn't mean to do that.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK4