Expressing "not… but…" with "er shi"
Revision as of 07:56, 21 May 2012 by ViktorMugli (talk | contribs)
Structure
"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.
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".
Examples
- 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。
See also
Sources and further reading
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