不只是 ... + 也 / 还 ...
Reach for this when the topic is wider than people are treating it — 'it's not just X, it's also Y.' 不只是 calls out a too-narrow framing in the first clause, and 也 or 还 lands the additional reality in the second. It's the everyday spoken cousin of 不仅是 — same logic, friendlier register. Common when widening the scope of a story ('this isn't just about one beach,' 'this isn't only my problem,' 'it's not just expensive, it's also slow').
Structure
不只是 [NARROW VIEW], 也 / 还 [WIDER REALITY]
bù zhǐ shì ..., yě / hái ...
How to Think About It
不只 puts the brakes on a narrow framing; 也 / 还 then ushers in what's been left out. The two halves can share the same subject (more facets of one thing) or introduce parallel subjects (this plus that). 也 favors parallel additions on the same theme; 还 carries the energy of 'and on top of that.' Pick by feel — both are grammatical with this pattern.
Examples
他不只是我的同事, 也是我最好的朋友。
Tā bù zhǐ shì wǒ de tóngshì, yě shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou.
He's not just my coworker; he's also my best friend.
这家店不只是卖咖啡, 还卖书。
Zhè jiā diàn bù zhǐ shì mài kāfēi, hái mài shū.
This shop doesn't just sell coffee; it also sells books.
受影响的不只是学生, 也有老师。
Shòu yǐngxiǎng de bù zhǐ shì xuésheng, yě yǒu lǎoshī.
It's not only students who are affected; teachers are too.
Common Mistake
Learners drop the 也 / 还 entirely because English 'not just X, Y' doesn't always need 'also.' In Chinese the second half needs an explicit additive marker — otherwise the sentence feels chopped, like 'not just X. Y.'
不只是一个海滩关了, 别的也很危险。
不只是一个海滩关了, 别的海滩也很危险。
Don't Confuse With
不仅是 ... 也 / 还 ...
Same meaning, slightly more formal/written. 不仅 sounds polished; 不只 sounds conversational. Pick by the register of the rest of the sentence.
不仅仅是 ... 也 / 还 ...
Emphatic version with doubled 仅. Adds 'don't underestimate this' pushback energy. Use when you're correcting a narrow framing forcefully.
不是 ... 而是 ...
Opposite job — CORRECTS the first claim instead of extending it. With 不只是 the first part is true but incomplete; with 不是...而是 the first part is wrong.
Practice
她 ___ 是医生, 也是作家。
Show answer
不只
我不只喜欢看电影, ___ 喜欢看书。
Show answer
还
Put in order: [不只是 / 也 / 中文 / 难 / 日文]
Show answer
不只是中文难, 日文也难。
Translate to Chinese: 'This problem isn't just mine; it's also a problem for many people.'
Show answer
这个问题不只是我的, 也是很多人的。
Write one sentence about something you do or a place you know, using 不只是 ... 也 / 还 ... to widen the picture.
Show answer
Example answer: 运动不只是为了健康, 也是为了开心。 (Exercise isn't just for health; it's also for being happy.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: