不只是...
Reach for this when you want to say something is MORE than what people might assume — 'not just X.' Use it to broaden the scope of a claim ('this isn't just a tech problem, it's a social one'), to add depth to a description ('she's not just a teacher, she's a friend'), or to push back against a narrow framing. Common in op-eds, presentations, and emphatic speech. Usually followed by a clause adding the bigger truth.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 不只是 [NARROW INTERPRETATION], (也 / 还) [BROADER REALITY]
bù zhǐshì...
How to Think About It
不只是 means 'not only is it...' — it rejects a too-narrow framing while keeping the original true. So '这不只是钱的问题' doesn't deny that it's about money; it says 'yes money is part of it, but there's more.' Native ears expect a follow-up clause that names the bigger thing, usually with 也, 还, or 更. Without the second half, the sentence reads as a setup with no payoff.
Examples
这不只是钱的问题, 也是面子的问题。
Zhè bù zhǐshì qián de wèntí, yě shì miànzi de wèntí.
This isn't just about money — it's also about face.
她不只是我的老师, 还是我的朋友。
Tā bù zhǐshì wǒ de lǎoshī, hái shì wǒ de péngyǒu.
She isn't just my teacher — she's also my friend.
学中文不只是为了工作, 也是为了了解文化。
Xué Zhōngwén bù zhǐshì wèile gōngzuò, yě shì wèile liǎojiě wénhuà.
Learning Chinese isn't just for work — it's also for understanding the culture.
Common Mistake
Learners use 不是 instead of 不只是, but those mean different things. 不是 denies the claim entirely; 不只是 accepts it as partially true and adds more. For 'not just,' you need the 只 in there.
这不是钱的问题, 还是态度的问题。
这不只是钱的问题, 还是态度的问题。
Don't Confuse With
不仅...还...
More formal, more written — 'not only X but also Y.' Use 不仅 in essays and reports; use 不只是 in everyday speech and casual writing. They mean roughly the same thing.
不是...而是...
Denies one thing and substitutes another. Use 不是...而是 when X is WRONG; use 不只是 when X is right but incomplete.
除了...以外, 还...
'Apart from X, also Y' — neutral addition. Use 除了 when you're listing items; use 不只是 when you want to push back against a narrow interpretation.
Practice
这 ___ 是天气的问题。
Show answer
不只
他不只是同事, ___ 是朋友。
Show answer
也
Put in order: [还 / 老师 / 不只是 / 我的 / 妈妈 / 她]
Show answer
她不只是我的老师, 还是妈妈。
Translate to Chinese: 'This isn't just my problem, it's everyone's problem.'
Show answer
这不只是我的问题, 也是大家的问题。
Write one sentence using 不只是... to push past a narrow framing.
Show answer
Example answer: 短视频不只是娱乐, 也在改变人们的注意力。 (Short videos aren't just entertainment — they're also changing people's attention spans.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: