Difference between revisions of "Expressing "not… but…" with "er shi""

 
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#REDIRECT[[Using "er" to explain contrasting ideas]]
 
 
Sometimes you want to explain that an object, concept, or event isn't one thing, but in fact a different thing. This is the perfect structure to convey that in Chinese.
 
 
 
== Structure ==
 
 
 
"不是⋯⋯, (而)是⋯⋯" (bùshì..., (ér)shì...) is used to clarify something about a certain noun. What's being clarified can be noun phrases or verb phrases.
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
Subj. + 不是 + Noun 1 , (而)是 + Noun 2
 
</div>
 
 
 
or
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
Subj. + 不是 + [Verb Phrase 1] , (而)是 + [Verb Phrase 2]
 
</div>
 
 
 
An easy way to remember this pattern is that it roughly corresponds to the English, "Something is not X, it's Y."
 
 
 
== Examples ==
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
 
*他 <em>不是</em> 中国人,<em>是</em> 美国人 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù shì</em> Zhōngguó rén, <em>shì</em> Měiguó rén.</span><span class="trans">He isn't Chinese, he's American.</span>
 
*这个 大楼 <em>不是</em> 公寓,<em>是</em> 办公楼 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège dàlóu <em>bù shì</em> gōngyù, <em> shì</em> bàngōnglóu.</span><span class="trans">This building isn't an apartment building, it's an office building.</span>
 
*那 <em>不是</em> 一 个 问题 ,<em>而是</em> 一 个 机会 。<span class="pinyin">Nà <em>bù shì</em> yī gè wèntí, <em>érshì</em> yī gè jīhuì.</span><span class="trans">That isn't a problem, it's an opportunity.</span>
 
*重要 的 <em>不是</em> 你 的 外表 ,<em>而是</em> 你 的 内心 。<span class="pinyin">Zhòngyào de <em>bù shì</em> nǐ de wàibiǎo, <em>érshì</em> nǐ de nèixīn.</span><span class="trans">What's important is not how you look outside, it's your inside.</span>
 
*我 <em>不是</em> 故意 的 ,<em>是</em> 不 小心 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù shì</em> gùyì de, <em>shì</em> bù xiǎoxīn.</span><span class="trans">I didn't mean to, it's an innocent mistake.</span>
 
*你 这样 做 <em>不是</em> 帮 他 ,<em>是</em> 害 他 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhèyàng zuò <em>bù shì</em> bāng tā, <em>shì</em> hài tā.</span><span class="trans">You were not helping him by doing this, you're hurting him.</span>
 
*我 帮 你 <em>不是</em> 想 让 你 感谢 我 ,<em>而是</em> 想 跟 你 做 朋友 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bāng nǐ <em>bù shì</em> xiǎng ràng nǐ gǎnxiè wǒ, <em>érshì</em> xiǎng gēn nǐ zuò péngyou.</span><span class="trans">The reason why I helped you is not to make you grateful to me, but to be friends with you.</span>
 
*我们 <em>不是</em> 来 玩 的,<em>是</em> 来 工作 的 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>bù shì</em> lái wán de, <em>shì</em> lái gōngzuò de.</span><span class="trans">We're not here to play, we're here to do our job.</span>
 
*他 <em>不是</em> 不 喜欢 你 ,<em>是</em> 跟 你 还不 熟 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù shì</em> bù xǐhuan nǐ, <em>shì</em> gēn nǐ hái bù shóu.</span><span class="trans">It's not that he doesn't like you, it's just he's unacquainted with you.</span>
 
*生活 中 <em>不是</em> 缺少 美  ,<em>而是</em> 缺少 发现 美 的 眼睛 。<span class="pinyin">Shēnghuó zhōng <em>bù shì</em> quēshǎo měi, <em>érshì</em> quēshǎo fāxiàn měi de yǎnjing.</span><span class="trans">Beauty is found everywhere. To our eyes, it is not a lack of beauty but a lack of discovery.</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
==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]] (p. 277) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276792 →buy]
 
 
 
 
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
{{Basic Grammar|不是|B1|不是⋯⋯ 是⋯⋯|<em>不 是</em> 问题,<em>是</em> 机会。|grammar point|ASGT9WYR}}
 
{{Rel char|是}}
 
{{Rel char|不}}
 
{{Similar|"On the Contrary" with "fan'er"}}
 
{{Similar|"Not... But Rather..." with "er shi"}}
 
{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
 
{{Used for|Giving alternatives}}
 
{{Used for|Contrasting}}
 
{{Used for|Differentiating}}
 
{{Translation|not}}
 

Latest revision as of 02:54, 26 October 2018