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

• 那 不是 一 个 问题 ，而是 一 个 机会 。Nà bù shì yī gè wèntí, érshì yī gè jīhuì.That isn't a problem, it's an opportunity.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 我 不是 故意 的 ，是 不 小心 。Wǒ 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.
• 他 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 he doesn't like you, it's just he's unacquainted with you.
• 我 帮 你 不是 想 让 你 感谢 我 ，而是 想 跟 你 做 朋友 。Wǒ bāng nǐ bù shì xiǎng ràng nǐ gǎnxiè wǒ, érshì xiǎng gēn nǐ zuò péngyou.The reason why I helped you is not to make you grateful to me, but to be friends with you.
• 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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