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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<p>Sometimes you want to explain that an object, concept, or event
isn't one thing, but in fact a different thing. This is the perfect
structure to convey that in Chinese.</p>
<h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>
<p>"不是⋯⋯， (而)是⋯⋯" (bùshì..., (ér)shì...) is used to clarify
something about a certain noun. What's being clarified can be noun
phrases or verb phrases.</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + 不是 + Noun 1 ， (而)是 + Noun 2</p>
</div>
<p>or</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + 不是 + [Verb Phrase 1] ， (而)是 + [Verb Phrase 2]</p>
</div>
<p>An easy way to remember this pattern is that it roughly
corresponds to the English, "Something is not X, it's Y."</p>
<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>他 <em>不是</em> 中国人，<em>是</em> 美国人 。<span class="pinyin">Tā
<em>bù shì</em> Zhōngguó rén, <em>shì</em> Měiguó
rén.</span><span class="trans">He isn't Chinese, he's
American.</span></li>
<li>这个 大楼 <em>不是</em> 公寓，<em>是</em> 办公楼 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège
dàlóu <em>bù shì</em> gōngyù, <em>shì</em>
bàngōnglóu.</span><span class="trans">This building isn't an
apartment building, it's an office building.</span></li>
<li>那 <em>不是</em> 一 个 问题 ，<em>而是</em> 一 个 机会 。<span class=
"pinyin">Nà <em>bù shì</em> yī gè wèntí, <em>érshì</em> yī gè
jīhuì.</span><span class="trans">That isn't a problem, it's an
opportunity.</span></li>
<li>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></li>
<li>我 <em>不是</em> 故意 的 ，<em>是</em> 不 小心 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ
<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></li>
<li>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></li>
<li>我 帮 你 <em>不是</em> 想 让 你 感谢 我 ，<em>而是</em> 想 跟 你 做 朋友
。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bāng nǐ <em>bù shì</em> xiǎng ràng nǐ
gǎnxiè wǒ, <em>érshì</em> xiǎng gēn nǐ zuò
péngyou.</span><span class="trans">The reason why I helped you is
not to make you grateful to me, but to be friends with
you.</span></li>
<li>我们 <em>不是</em> 来 玩 的，<em>是</em> 来 工作 的 。<span class=
"pinyin">Wǒmen <em>bù shì</em> lái wán de, <em>shì</em> lái gōngzuò
de.</span><span class="trans">We're not here to play, we're here to
do our job.</span></li>
<li>他 <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 he doesn't like
you, it's just he's unacquainted with you.</span></li>
<li>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></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href=
"Expressing_&quot;not%E2%80%A6_but_rather%E2%80%A6&quot;_with_&quot;er_shi&quot;"
title="wikilink">Expressing "not… but rather…" with "er
shi"</a></li>
<li><a href="&quot;On_the_contrary&quot;_with_&quot;fan'er&quot;"
title="wikilink">"On the contrary" with "fan'er"</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further
reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_1" title=
"wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1</a> (p. 277)
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=0887276792">
→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title=
"wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a></p>
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