不但... 而且/还...
Reach for this when you're stacking two related qualities or actions and the second one adds force to the first — 'not only X, but also Y.' Use it to escalate praise ('she's not only smart, she's also kind'), warn about layered problems ('the food is not only expensive, it's also bad'), or build any 'and on top of that...' argument. Everyday register — common in conversation, writing, and persuasive copy. 而且 leans slightly more written; 还 is the casual-speech default.
Structure
Subject + 不但 + Clause A，而且/还 + Clause B
búdàn... érqiě / hái...
How to Think About It
不但 sets up an expectation: 'this is going to keep going.' 而且 or 还 then delivers the second item with a slight upgrade in force. It's not just addition (which 和 would handle) — it's escalation. 'She's not only smart' implies 'and that's already impressive'; 'but also kind' caps it. The two clauses usually share the same subject; if subjects differ, 不但 jumps to the front of the whole sentence: 不但我去了，他也去了.
Examples
她不但聪明，而且很努力。
Tā búdàn cōngmíng, érqiě hěn nǔlì.
She's not only smart, she's also hardworking.
这家餐厅不但贵，还不好吃。
Zhè jiā cāntīng búdàn guì, hái bù hǎochī.
This restaurant isn't just expensive, it's also bad.
不但他来了，他全家都来了。
Búdàn tā lái le, tā quánjiā dōu lái le.
Not only did he come, his whole family came too.
学中文不但有用，而且很有意思。
Xué Zhōngwén búdàn yǒuyòng, érqiě hěn yǒu yìsi.
Studying Chinese isn't just useful, it's also really interesting.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 而且/还 or use 但是 in the second clause, breaking the additive escalation. 不但 is one half of a pair — it needs its partner.
他不但聪明，但是很努力。
他不但聪明，而且很努力。
Don't Confuse With
不仅...而且...
Same meaning, slightly more formal/written. 不仅 is the literary cousin of 不但 — interchangeable in most contexts; pick 不仅 for essays, 不但 for everyday.
既...又...
'Both X and Y' — pure parallel, no escalation. Use when both qualities sit at the same level ('既便宜又好吃' — cheap AND tasty). 不但...而且... implies the second outweighs or extends the first.
除了...以外，还...
'Besides X, also Y' — focuses on what's added beyond X. 不但...而且... focuses on the escalation; 除了...还 focuses on inclusion of an extra item.
Practice
Fill in: 他 ___ 会说中文， ___ 会写汉字。
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不但 / 还
Arrange: 不但 / 这部电影 / 而且 / 有意思 / 很 / 很 / 感人
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这部电影不但很有意思，而且很感人。
Translate to Chinese: He's not only good at his job, he's also very kind to colleagues.
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他不但工作做得很好，而且对同事也很好。
Use 不但...而且... to describe a place, person, or product with two stacked qualities.
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这家咖啡店不但环境好，而且咖啡也很好喝。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 不但... 而且/还... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.