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= Expressing &quot;not… but…&quot; with &quot;er shi&quot; =


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<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22on_the_contrary%22_with_%22fan%27er%22 Expressing &quot;on the contrary&quot; with &quot;fan'er&quot;] (B2)</li></ul>


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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Giving_alternatives Giving alternatives], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Contrasting Contrasting], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Differentiating Differentiating]

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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D%E6%98%AF 不是], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E8%80%8C%E6%98%AF 而是], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%98%AF 是]

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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Not not], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/But but]

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Sometimes you want to explain that an object, concept, or event isn't one thing, but in fact a different thing. 不是⋯⋯, (而)是⋯⋯ (bùshì..., (ér)shì...) is the perfect structure to convey that in Chinese. This is a useful phrase to use in arguments to overturn a point of view and state the opposite.

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== Contents ==

<span class="toctoggle"> [[[#|hide]]] </span>

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* [[#Structure|<span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Structure</span>]]
* [[#Examples|<span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Examples</span>]]
* [[#See_also|<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span>]]
* [[#Sources_and_further_reading|<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Sources and further reading</span>]]
** [[#Books|<span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">Books</span>]]


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== <span id="Structure" class="mw-headline">Structure</span> ==

An easy way to remember this pattern is that it roughly corresponds to the English, &quot;Something is not X, it's Y.&quot;

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Subj. + 不是⋯⋯ ，(而)是⋯⋯


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== <span id="Examples" class="mw-headline">Examples</span> ==

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* 我觉得 这 ''不是'' 麻烦，''而是'' 机会 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde zhè ''bùshì'' máfan, ''érshì'' jīhuì.</span><span class="trans">I don't think it's trouble. I think it's an opportunity.</span>
* 她 ''不是'' 不 想 买 ，''而是'' 买不起 。<span class="pinyin">Tā ''bù shì'' bù xiǎng mǎi, ''ér shì'' mǎi bu qǐ.</span><span class="trans">It's not that she doesn't want to buy it, it's that she couldn't afford it.</span>
* 我 没 说 ''不是'' 想 骗 你 ，''而是'' 怕 你 不 高兴 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi shuō ''bù shì'' xiǎng piàn nǐ, ''ér shì'' pà nǐ bù gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">The reason why I didn't tell is not that I wanted to lie to you; it's that I'm afraid you would be upset.</span>
* 我 ''不是'' 八卦 ，''是'' 关心 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ ''bù shì'' bāguà, ''shì'' guānxīn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">I'm not gossiping. I'm concerned about you.</span>
* 我 ''不 是'' 不 想 帮 你 ，''而是'' 没有 能力 帮 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ ''bù shì'' bù xiǎng bāng nǐ, ''ér shì'' méiyǒu nénglì bāng nǐ.</span><span class="trans">It's not that I don't want to help, it's that I can't help.</span>
* 重要 的 ''不是'' 你 的 外表 ，''而是'' 你 的 内心 。<span class="pinyin">Zhòngyào de ''bù shì'' nǐ de wàibiǎo, ''ér shì'' nǐ de nèixīn.</span><span class="trans">What's important is not how you look outside, it's your inside.</span>
* 生活 中 ''不是'' 缺少 美 ，''而是'' 缺少 发现 美 的 眼睛 。<span class="pinyin">Shēnghuó zhōng ''bù shì'' quēshǎo měi, ''ér shì'' 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>


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You can also put 不是 in the second half. Note that 而 can't be used in this case.

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Subj. + 是⋯⋯ ，不是⋯⋯


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Some examples:

<div class="liju">

* 我们 ''是'' 来 办事 的 ，''不是'' 来 玩 的 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen ''shì'' lái bànshì de, ''bù shì'' lái wán de.</span><span class="trans">We're here to do our job, not to have fun.</span>
* 你 这样 做 ''是'' 害 他 ，''不是'' 帮 他 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhèyàng zuò ''shì'' hài tā, ''bù shì'' bāng tā.</span><span class="trans">You were hurting him by doing this, not helping him.</span>
* 不好意思 ，我 ''是'' 不 小心 ，''不是'' 故意 的 。<span class="pinyin">Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ ''shì'' bù xiǎoxīn, ''bù shì'' gùyì de.</span><span class="trans">I'm sorry. It was an innocent mistake. I didn't mean to do that.</span>


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== <span id="See_also" class="mw-headline">See also</span> ==

* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22On_the_contrary%22_with_%22fan%27er%22 &quot;On the contrary&quot; with &quot;fan'er&quot;]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Conceding_a_point_with_%22shi%22 Conceding a point with &quot;shi&quot;]

== <span id="Sources_and_further_reading" class="mw-headline">Sources and further reading</span> ==

=== <span id="Books" class="mw-headline">Books</span> ===

* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_1 Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1] (pp. 277) [http://amzn.to/2fdV2l3 →buy]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_4_(%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%BE%E6%9C%AC4) 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]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/40_Lessons_for_Basic_Chinese_Course_(%E5%9F%BA%E7%A1%80%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD40%E8%AF%BE%E4%B8%8B%E5%86%8C%EF%BC%89 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册）] (pp. 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]

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