Ch 30 · Lesson 9Mandarin · Chapter 30 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
不仅 and 不但没…反而: the opposite happened
is the written . And with a negative in the first half, says the opposite happened: 雨，.
The short version
雨，。Yǔ búdàn méi tíng, fǎn'ér yuè xià yuè dà.
Why?Hide
Put a negative in the first half and (fǎn'ér), 'on the contrary', opens the second: the opposite of what you expected happened. Use (méi) for something that did not happen, and (bù) for an adjective or a habit.
不仅 (bùjǐn): the written twin
(bùjǐn) means exactly what (búdàn) means, with the same positions and the same partners. It just sounds more written, so it is the one in reports, essays and the news:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Zhè běn shū bùjǐn yǒu yìsi, érqiě hěn yǒuyòng. | This book is not only interesting but useful |
，。 | Zhège bànfǎ bùjǐn kuài, bìngqiě hěn piányi. | This method is not only quick but cheap |
For a second half that goes further still, (shènzhì), "even", can take the partner's place: ，。 (Tā búdàn huì shuō Zhōngwén, shènzhì huì shuō Shànghǎihuà.), he not only speaks Chinese, he even speaks Shanghainese.
不但没 (búdàn méi)…反而 (fǎn'ér): the opposite happened
Put a negative in the first half and the frame stops adding. It says "not only did A not happen, the opposite did". (fǎn'ér), "on the contrary", opens the second half:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
雨，。 | Yǔ búdàn méi tíng, fǎn'ér yuè xià yuè dà. | Far from stopping, the rain got heavier |
，。 | Tā búdàn méi dàoqiàn, fǎn'ér guài wǒ. | Far from apologising, he blamed me |
，。 | Zhè jiā diàn búdàn bù piányi, fǎn'ér bǐ bié de diàn guì. | This shop isn't cheap; it's dearer than the others |
(búdàn méi) is for something that did not happen; (búdàn bù) is for an adjective, a habit or a refusal. That is the ordinary split between 不 and 没.
(hái) can follow a negative first half too: ，。 (Tā búdàn méi dàoqiàn, hái guài wǒ.) It simply adds the second thing. (fǎn'ér) stresses that it was the opposite of what you expected.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
，。 | ，。 | the second half needs (érqiě), (hái) or (yě) |
，。 | ，。 | adds; a contrast takes (suīrán) |
，。 | ，。 | two subjects: (búdàn) goes first |
Going further: The whole system on one screen and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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