Ch 32 · Lesson 16Mandarin · Chapter 32 · Lesson 16 · Grammar primer
不是…而是 and 不是…就是
， corrects: not this, but that. ， lists the only two options, often as a complaint.
The short version
Not X but Y:
，。Tā búshì lǎoshī, érshì xuésheng.
Why?Hide
To correct a wrong idea, say (búshì) A, (érshì) B: (wèntí búshì qián), (érshì shíjiān), the problem isn't money but time. (dànshì) means 'however' and cannot answer (búshì). Swap (érshì) for (jiùshì) and the meaning changes to 'if not A, then B'.
The whole system on one screen
The colours stay the same all page long:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Tā búshì lǎoshī, érshì xuésheng. | He's not a teacher but a student |
，。 | Tā búshì shuìjiào, jiùshì dǎ yóuxì. | If he isn't sleeping, he's playing games |
，。 | Jìrán nǐ lái le, jiù duō zuò yíhuìr ba. | Since you're here, stay a while |
Correct, list two options, or conclude: (érshì), (jiùshì) or (jiù) in the second half tells you which.
不是…而是 (búshì… érshì): not this, but that
Deny the first thing, then put the right one in its place. A and B are the same kind of thing: two nouns, two verbs, two reasons. A comma before (érshì) is usual.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Tā búshì lǎoshī, érshì xuésheng. | He's not a teacher but a student |
，。 | Wèntí búshì qián, érshì shíjiān. | The problem isn't money but time |
，。 | Wǒ búshì bù xiǎng bāng nǐ, érshì zhēnde méi kòng. | It's not that I won't help; I've no time |
The last row is the frame's favourite job: …， (búshì bù xiǎng…, érshì), "it's not that I don't want to, it's that…". It is how Mandarin turns down a request politely.
or plain ? (érshì) gives the correction weight and suits writing. In conversation, ，。 (Tā búshì lǎoshī, shì xuésheng.) is just as correct and lighter. What does not work is (dànshì): it means "however", and it cannot answer (búshì).
不是…就是 (búshì… jiùshì): if not this, then that
Here nothing is corrected. The frame says it is one of two things: if it is not A, it is B. Used about someone's habits, it is a complaint that those two things are all they ever do.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Tā búshì shuìjiào, jiùshì dǎ yóuxì. | All he does is sleep or play games |
，退。 | Tā búshì chídào, jiùshì zǎotuì. | If he isn't late, he leaves early |
，。 | Zhège shíjiān tā búshì zài jiā, jiùshì zài gōngsī. | At this hour he's either at home or at work |
The last row is not a complaint, just a guess between two places: the frame itself is neutral. The comma before (jiùshì) is optional.
Going further: 既然 (jìrán)…就 (jiù): since that is the case and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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