{{Grammar Box}} 

不是⋯⋯而是⋯⋯ (bù shì... ér shì) means "not A, but rather B." This is a useful phrase to use in arguments to overturn a point of view and state the opposite. 

== Structure ==

<div class="jiegou">

不是 + A + 而是 + B

</div>

A above is the undesirable option, and B is the desirable option.  The same could be expressed as follows:

<div class="jiegou">

是 + B + 而不是 + A

</div>

== Examples ==

For example:

<div class="liju">
* 我 <em>不 是</em> 不 想 帮忙 <em>而 是</em> 没有 能力 帮忙。<span class="trans">It's not that I don't want to help, it's that I can't help.</span>
* 我 认为 有的人 做 慈善 活动 的 目的 <em>不 是</em> 为了 帮助 穷人 <em>而 是</em> 为了 提高 他们 的 名誉。<span class="trans">I think that some people do charitable things, not only to help poor people, but also to improve their reputation.</span>
</div>

==See also==

*[[Expressing "either ... or ..." with "yaome"]]
*[[Expressing the only two possibilities]]
*[[The pattern "it's not…, it's…"]]

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1]] (pp. 306-7) [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]
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)]] (pp. 20) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561913192 →buy]
*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册）]] (p. 516)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy]

===Websites===

* Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: [http://comet.cls.yale.edu/chineseusagedictionary/0235.html Usage of 而]

[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|而|B2|不是⋯⋯，而是⋯⋯|他 <em>不 是</em> 老师 ， <em>而 是</em> 学生 。|grammar point|ASGAJGJD}}
{{Similar|Expressing "either ... or ..." with "yaome"}}
{{Similar|Expressing the only two possibilities}}
{{Similar|The Pattern "It's not…, it's…"}}
{{Similar|Conceding a point with "shi"}}
{{Rel char|不是}}
{{Rel char|是}}
{{Used for|Contrasting}}
{{Used for|Differentiating}}
{{Structure|"But" Statements}}
{{Translation|not}}
{{Translation|but}}