不只是 ... 还是 / 也是 ...
Reach for this when you want to escalate a description — 'X isn't only Y, it's also Z' — with Z carrying more weight or broader scope than Y. The 不只是 concedes the obvious first label; the 还是/也是 layers on a bigger, often more consequential second label. Common in news analysis, op-eds, and any moment a speaker wants to say 'don't just see this as Y — it's actually a Z-level matter too.'
Structure
[SUBJECT] 不只是 [NARROW CATEGORY Y]，还是 / 也是 [BROADER CATEGORY Z]
bùzhǐ shì... háishì / yěshì...
How to Think About It
The two halves are NOT parallel in weight on purpose: the first names the obvious, smaller category; the second names the bigger, more important one. The word 不只 ('not only') concedes the first label as accurate but insufficient — and the second half delivers what the speaker really wants you to notice. The asymmetry is the point. Reversing the order (big first, small second) kills the rhetorical build.
Examples
这不只是个人的问题，也是社会的问题。
Zhè bùzhǐ shì gèrén de wèntí, yěshì shèhuì de wèntí.
This isn't only a personal issue — it's also a social issue.
她不只是我的同事，还是我最好的朋友。
Tā bùzhǐ shì wǒ de tóngshì, háishì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou.
She isn't only my colleague — she's also my best friend.
这不只是一笔生意，也是中美之间的较量。
Zhè bùzhǐ shì yì bǐ shēngyi, yěshì Zhōng-Měi zhī jiān de jiàoliàng.
This isn't only a business deal — it's also a contest between China and the US.
Common Mistake
Learners write 不只是 X 也是 Y where X and Y carry equal weight, treating it like a plain 'both A and B' list. The pattern is meant to climb: small category first, bigger category second. Equal weights flatten it.
他不只是医生，也是律师。(flat list)
AI 不只是技术，也是国家和国家之间的事。
Don't Confuse With
不仅...而且...
不仅 A 而且 B adds B onto A as additional info, both verbs/clauses. 不只是 X 也是 Y specifically swaps narrow category for broader category, both nouns/labels.
不仅仅是A，更是B
Stronger version with 更是 instead of 也是 — pushes B even harder ('not merely A, even more so B'). Use 更是 when you want to stress B's overwhelming weight; 也是/还是 when adding B is enough.
既是...又是...
既是 A 又是 B = 'is both A and B' — equal weight, balanced. 不只是 X 也是 Y = asymmetric escalation. Pick 既...又 for genuine 'both,' 不只是...也是 for 'and actually, more importantly...'
Practice
AI ___ 技术。AI 也是国家和国家之间的事。
Show answer
不只是
他不只是老师，___ 是作家。
Show answer
还
Arrange: 不只是 / 健康问题 / 也是 / 经济问题 / 这
Show answer
这不只是健康问题，也是经济问题。
He isn't only an athlete — he's also a great teacher.
Show answer
他不只是运动员，也是一位很好的老师。
Use 不只是...也是... to escalate from a narrow label to a broader one.
Show answer
保护环境不只是个人的事，也是每个企业的责任。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: