▎不但 A，還 B, (búdàn (Conj) A, hái (Adv) B), not only A, but also B

 

Function This pattern provides two pieces of information about the subject of a sentence.

1 他昨天買的那件外套不但輕，還很暖和。

Tā zuótiān mǎi de nà jiàn wàitào búdàn qīng, hái hěn nuǎnhuo.

The coat he bought yesterday is not only light, but also very warm.

2 陳小姐的中文不但聲調很準，說話還很流利。

Chén xiǎojiě de Zhōngwén búdàn shēngdiào hěn zhǔn, shuōhuà hái hěn liúlì.

Miss Chen’s Chinese is not only spot on in terms of tones; she speaks very fluently.

3 我新辦的手機，不但月租便宜，還可以上網吃到飽。

Wǒ xīn bàn de shǒujī, búdàn yuèzū piányí, hái kěyǐ shàngwǎng chīdàobǎo.

The cell phone I just got not only has low monthly fees; I get unlimited internet usage.

4 外面不但下雨，還颳大風，你就別出去了。

Wàimiàn búdàn xià yǔ, hái guā dà fēng, nǐ jiù bié chūqù le.

It’s not only raining outside; it’s also very windy. Don’t go out.

 

Usage Remember that conjunctions are placed either pre- or post-subject, while adverbs occur before VP. If the conj 而且érqiě appears after 不但búdàn, 還hái can be omitted, e.g.,

1 他買的外套，不但樣子好看，而且價錢（還）很便宜。

Tā mǎi de wàitào, búdàn yàngzi hǎokàn, érqiě jiàqián (hái) hěn piányí.

Not only is the style of his coat attractive, the price is really low.

2 他做的菜，不但顏色漂亮，而且味道（還）很香。

Tā zuò de cài, búdàn yánsè piàoliàng, érqiě wèidào (hái) hěn xiāng.

Not only is the dish he made visually attractive, it tastes great too.

3 經常寫漢字不但能記住，而且（還）能寫得漂亮。

Jīngcháng xiě Hànzì búdàn néng jìzhù, érqiě (hái) néng xiě de piàoliang.

Frequently writing Chinese characters not only helps you remember, it helps you to be able to write beautifully.