Difference between revisions of "Expressing "not… but…" with "er shi""
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Revision as of 08:50, 17 November 2011
"不是..., 是..." (búshì..., shì...) is used to clarify something about a certain noun. What's being clarified can range from adjectives, verbs and even noun phrases.
The basic structure:
Subject + 不是 + Adjective/Noun/Verb #1 + 是 + Adjective/Noun/Verb #2
An easy way to remember this pattern is that it roughly corresponds to the English, "Something is not X, it's Y".
Here are some more examples to help make this pattern clear.
- 那 不是 一 个 困难，是 一 个 机会。
- 他 不是 中国人，是 美国人。
- 这 个 大楼 不是 公寓，是 办公楼。
Sources and further reading
SOURCES NEEDED
