Expressing "not… but…" with "er shi"

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

Structure

Subj. + 不是 ⋯⋯ ，(而)是 ⋯⋯

It's used to clarify something about a certain noun. What's being clarified can be noun phrases or verb phrases.

Examples

• 我觉得 这 不是 麻烦，而是 机会 。Wǒ juéde zhè bù shì máfan, érshì jīhuì.I don't think it's trouble. I think it's an opportunity.
• 我 不是 八卦 ，是 关心 你 。Wǒ bù shì bāguà, shì guānxīn nǐ.I'm not gossiping. I'm concerned about you.
• 不好意思 ，我儿子 不是 故意 的 ，是 不 小心 。 bù shì gùyì de, shì bù xiǎoxīn.I didn't mean to, it's an innocent mistake.
• 你 这样 做 不是 帮 他 ，是 害 他 。Nǐ zhèyàng zuò bù shì bāng tā, shì hài tā.You were not helping him by doing this, you're hurting him.
• 他 这样 做 不是 为了 自己 ，是 为了 团队 。Tā zhèyàng zuò bù shì wèile zìjǐ, shì wèile tuánduì.He didn't do this for himself. He did this for the team.
• 我们 不是 来 玩 的 ，是 来 办事 的 。Wǒmen bù shì lái wán de, shì lái bànshì de.We're not here to have fun. We're here to get our job done.
• 她 不是 不 喜欢 你 ，是 跟 你 还 不 熟 。Tā bù shì bù xǐhuan nǐ, shì gēn nǐ hái bù shóu.It's not that she doesn't like you, it's just she's unacquainted with you.
• 我 没 说 不是 想 骗 你 ，而是 怕 你 不 高兴 。Wǒ méi shuō bù shì xiǎng piàn nǐ, érshì pà nǐ bù gāoxìng.The reason why I didn't tell is not because I wanted to lie to you; it's because I'm afraid you would be upset.
• 重要 的 不是 你 的 外表 ，而是 你 的 内心 。Zhòngyào de bù shì nǐ de wàibiǎo, érshì 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, érshì quēshǎo fāxiàn měi de yǎnjing.Beauty is found everywhere. To our eyes, it is not a lack of beauty but a lack of discovery.

See also

• Expressing "not… but rather…" with "er shi"
• "On the contrary" with "fan'er"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 277) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

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