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

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*我觉得 这 <em>不是</em> 麻烦,<em>而是</em> 机会 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde zhè <em>bù shì</em> máfan, <em>érshì</em> jīhuì.</span><span class="trans">I don't think it's trouble. I think it's an opportunity.</span>
 
*我觉得 这 <em>不是</em> 麻烦,<em>而是</em> 机会 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde zhè <em>bù shì</em> máfan, <em>érshì</em> jīhuì.</span><span class="trans">I don't think it's trouble. I think it's an opportunity.</span>
 
*我 <em>不是</em> 八卦 ,<em>是</em> 关心 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù shì</em> bāguà, <em>shì</em> guānxīn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">I'm not gossiping. I'm concerned about you.</span>
 
*我 <em>不是</em> 八卦 ,<em>是</em> 关心 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù shì</em> bāguà, <em>shì</em> guānxīn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">I'm not gossiping. I'm concerned about you.</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>
+
*不好意思 ,我儿子 <em>不是</em> 故意 的 ,<em>是</em> 不 小心 。<span class="pinyin"> <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>
*我 <em>不是</em> 故意 的 ,<em>是</em> 不 小心 。<span class="pinyin"><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>
 
*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>
 
*他 这样 做 <em>不是</em> 为了 自己 ,<em>是</em> 为了 团队 。<span class="pinyin">Tā zhèyàng zuò <em>bù shì</em> wèile zìjǐ, <em>shì</em> wèile tuánduì.</span><span class="trans">He didn't do this for himself. He did this for the team.</span>
 
*他 这样 做 <em>不是</em> 为了 自己 ,<em>是</em> 为了 团队 。<span class="pinyin">Tā zhèyàng zuò <em>bù shì</em> wèile zìjǐ, <em>shì</em> wèile tuánduì.</span><span class="trans">He didn't do this for himself. He did this for the team.</span>
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*她 <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 she doesn't like you, it's just she's unacquainted with you.</span>
 
*她 <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 she doesn't like you, it's just she's unacquainted with you.</span>
 
*我 没 说 <em>不是</em>  想 骗 你 ,<em>而是</em> 怕 你 不 高兴 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi shuō <em>bù shì</em> xiǎng piàn nǐ, <em>érshì</em> pà nǐ bù gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">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.</span>
 
*我 没 说 <em>不是</em>  想 骗 你 ,<em>而是</em> 怕 你 不 高兴 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi shuō <em>bù shì</em> xiǎng piàn nǐ, <em>érshì</em> pà nǐ bù gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">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.</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>
 
*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>
 
*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>
  

Revision as of 03:05, 2 January 2018

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.
  • 不是 八卦 , 关心 你 。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 , 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 , 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 , 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 , 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.
  • 不是 不 喜欢 你 , 跟 你 还 不 熟 。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

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK4