Expressing "not only... but also" with "budan... erqie..."
"不但⋯⋯,而且⋯⋯" (bùdàn..., érqiě...) is a very commonly used pattern that indicates "not only, ... but also...."
Here's the basic structure:
Subject + 不但 + Adjective/Verb, 而且 + Adjective/Verb
The pattern can also be used omitting 而且, and instead using adverbs like 也 and 还 in its place.
Here are some examples:
- 她 不但 会 说 汉语,而且 会 说 日语。
- 他 不但 能 修 汽车,还 能 修 自行车。
- 啊,他 很 聪明,不但 上 了 很 好 的 大学,而且 有 很 好 的 成绩。
Sources and further reading
Books
- Common Chinese Patterns 330 (pp. 22)
- Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 253)