不但……甚至……
Reach for this when you want to escalate a claim past where the listener would expect — 'not only X, but even Y.' 不但 sets the baseline ('this much is already true'), and 甚至 vaults past it ('and beyond that, even this'). Use it to dramatize the scope of something: not only fake photos, but even fake videos; not only late, but even didn't come at all. The flavor is stronger than plain 不但...而且....
Structure
[SUBJECT] 不但 [BASELINE FACT] , 甚至 [ESCALATED FACT]
búdàn... shènzhì...
How to Think About It
甚至 is the key word — it means 'to the point of / even' and signals that what comes next is the unexpected extreme. 不但 alone just means 'not only'; combine it with 而且 for neutral addition, with 还 for casual addition, with 甚至 for dramatic escalation. Pick the partner based on how surprising the second item is. If the second item is just 'one more thing on the list,' use 而且 or 还. If it's 'wait, even THAT?' — use 甚至.
Examples
他不但会说英语, 甚至能用英语写小说。
Tā búdàn huì shuō Yīngyǔ, shènzhì néng yòng Yīngyǔ xiě xiǎoshuō.
He not only can speak English, but can even write novels in English.
这种手机不但便宜, 甚至比贵的还好用。
Zhè zhǒng shǒujī búdàn piányí, shènzhì bǐ guì de hái hǎoyòng.
This phone is not only cheap, but is even more usable than the expensive ones.
她不但没生气, 甚至还笑了。
Tā búdàn méi shēngqì, shènzhì hái xiào le.
She not only didn't get angry, but even laughed.
Common Mistake
Learners swap 甚至 with 而且 and lose the escalation. '不但下雨, 而且下雪了' just lists two weather facts. To get the 'and EVEN snow' effect, you need 甚至: '不但下雨, 甚至下雪了.' Without 甚至, the sentence is flat where it should crescendo.
他不但迟到, 而且没来。
他不但迟到, 甚至没来。
Don't Confuse With
不但……而且……
Neutral 'not only X, but also Y' — both items belong on the same plane. Use 而且 when Y is additional but not surprising. Use 甚至 when Y is surprisingly far past X.
不但……还……
More casual 'not only X, also Y' for speech. 甚至 still wins when you want to dramatize how much further Y goes than expected.
甚至 alone
甚至 can stand without 不但 as a single adverb meaning 'even' — '他甚至不认识我了' (he doesn't even recognize me anymore). Adding 不但 in front lets you anchor a baseline first and then escalate.
Practice
他 ___ 会做饭, 甚至开了一家餐厅。
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不但
这次考试不但很难, ___ 没有人及格。
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甚至
Put in order: [甚至 / 他 / 不但 / 来 / 迟到 / 没 / 了]
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他不但迟到了, 甚至没来。
Translate to Chinese: 'The current AI can not only generate text, it can even create videos.'
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现在的AI不但能生成文字, 甚至能制作视频。
Write one sentence using 不但……甚至…… about how technology has advanced.
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Example answer: 现在的翻译软件不但准确, 甚至能模仿不同的说话风格。 (Today's translation software is not only accurate, it can even mimic different speaking styles.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: