Not Only... But Also in Mandarin: 不但...而且
By Michael McGettrick and Wee Khang LinUpdated 12 October 2026
(búdàn) means "not only", and it never travels alone: the second half needs (érqiě), (hái) or (yě). Where sits depends on whether both halves share a subject. And with a negative in the first half, (fǎn'ér) says the opposite happened.
Quick check
Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.
Pick the right one
0/3Pick the Mandarin for the English.
Not only can he speak Chinese, his sister can too.
He not only came, he came early.
Far from apologising, he blamed me.
The whole system on one screen
The colours stay the same all page long:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Zhè jiā fànguǎn búdàn piányi, érqiě hěn hǎochī. | This restaurant isn't just cheap, it's good |
，。 | Tā búdàn huì shuō Zhōngwén, hái huì xiě. | He can speak Chinese, and write it too |
，。 | Búdàn wǒ qù, wǒ mèimei yě qù. | Not only am I going, my sister is too |
雨，。 | Yǔ búdàn méi tíng, fǎn'ér yuè xià yuè dà. | Far from stopping, the rain got heavier |
(búdàn) opens, the second half closes. With a negative inside, (fǎn'ér) turns the sentence round.
不但 (búdàn) needs a second half
English can say "he not only speaks Chinese, he writes it beautifully" and mark nothing in the second clause. Mandarin marks it:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Tā búdàn huì shuō Zhōngwén, érqiě xiě de hěn hǎo. | He not only speaks Chinese, he writes it well |
，。 | Zhè jiā fànguǎn búdàn piányi, hái hěn hǎochī. | This restaurant is cheap, and good too |
，。 | Búdàn wǒ xǐhuan, wǒ māma yě xǐhuan. | Not only do I like it, my mum does too |
Leave the second half bare, ，。, and it sounds like a sentence that stopped halfway. The reverse is fine: (érqiě) needs no in front of it, so ，。 (Tā huì shuō Zhōngwén, érqiě xiě de hěn hǎo.) stands on its own.
and (hái) can stack, which is common in speech: ，。 (Zhè jiā fànguǎn búdàn piányi, érqiě hái hěn hǎochī.), cheap, and good on top of that.
Where 不但 (búdàn) sits: one subject or two
(búdàn) covers what stands to its right. One subject for both halves: it goes after the subject. Two different subjects: it goes in front of the first, so that the person is inside the frame:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Wǒ búdàn qù le, érqiě qù de hěn zǎo. | One subject: I went, and I went early |
，。 | Tā búdàn cōngming, érqiě hěn nǔlì. | One subject: she's clever and hard-working |
，。 | Búdàn wǒ qù le, wǒ mèimei yě qù le. | Two subjects: my sister went as well |
，。 | Búdàn cài hǎochī, fúwù yě hěn hǎo. | Two subjects: the service is good too |
That is the standard order, and the one exams expect. With two subjects, keep to it: (búdàn) after the first subject, as in ， (tā búdàn huì shuō Zhōngwén, tā mèimei yě huì), sounds off. With one subject you will sometimes hear (búdàn) in front of it in speech; after the subject is the safe place.
而且 (érqiě), 还 (hái) or 也 (yě)?
All of them close the frame. They sit in different places and feel different:
| Partner | Pinyin | Where it goes | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| érqiě | opens the second clause | neutral: the safe default | |
| hái | before the verb, same subject | spoken: "on top of that" | |
| yě | before the verb | "as well", often a new subject | |
| bìngqiě | opens the second clause | written and formal |
Unsure? Use (érqiě): it works with one subject or two, in speech or in writing. For somebody new in the second half, (yě) is the natural word, as in ， above.
The pairs also sort themselves by register:
- 不但…还 búdàn… hái
- 不但…而且 búdàn… érqiě
- 不仅…而且 bùjǐn… érqiě
- 不仅…并且 bùjǐn… bìngqiě
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 |
What to do next
- Do the drill below.
- Describe a place you like with
…(búdàn… érqiě), then a friend and you with…，… (búdàn wǒ…, wǒ péngyou yě…). - Then read 无论 (wúlùn) and 不管 (bùguǎn), the other two-part frame in this chapter, and concession with 虽然 (suīrán) for the second half that pushes back.