不仅……，更…… / 不仅……，而且……
Reach for 不仅...，更... or 不仅...，而且... when you want to build an argument by stacking a second point on top of the first — 'not only X, but even more importantly Y.' 更 emphasizes that the second point goes beyond the first; 而且 is a softer escalation. Common in essays, product pitches, and persuasive speech ('this app is not only fast, it's also more reliable than its competitors'). The pattern signals that the speaker considers the second clause the bigger deal.
Structure
(Subject) + 不仅 + Clause 1, 更 / 而且 + Clause 2
bù jǐn..., gèng / ér qiě...
How to Think About It
Both connectors say 'not only X, also Y,' but 更 turns up the volume. 不仅 sets up the first point; 更 declares 'and beyond that — Y, which is even more important.' 而且 is neutrally additive. Use 更 when you want the second clause to feel like the punch line ('not only is she smart, more importantly she's kind'). Use 而且 when both points matter equally but you still want the rhetorical lift.
Examples
他不仅是我的同事，更是我最好的朋友。
Tā bù jǐn shì wǒ de tóng shì, gèng shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péng you.
He's not only my colleague — more importantly, he's my best friend.
学外语不仅能找到好工作，而且能让你认识新的世界。
Xué wài yǔ bù jǐn néng zhǎo dào hǎo gōng zuò, ér qiě néng ràng nǐ rèn shi xīn de shì jiè.
Learning a foreign language doesn't just help you find a good job — it also opens up a new world.
这次比赛不仅锻炼了我的能力，更让我交到了很多朋友。
Zhè cì bǐ sài bù jǐn duàn liàn le wǒ de néng lì, gèng ràng wǒ jiāo dào le hěn duō péng you.
This competition didn't just sharpen my skills — even more, it helped me make a lot of friends.
她不仅工作认真，而且对同事也很热情。
Tā bù jǐn gōng zuò rèn zhēn, ér qiě duì tóng shì yě hěn rè qíng.
She's not only diligent at work — she's also warm toward her colleagues.
Common Mistake
Learners use 更 when the second point isn't actually stronger than the first — just different. 更 demands escalation. If your second clause isn't a meaningful upgrade, use 而且 or 也 to add it without claiming more weight than it has.
这本书不仅有趣，更是红色的。
这本书不仅有趣，更能让人学到很多。
Don't Confuse With
不但... 而且...
不但 is the slightly more formal twin of 不仅. Same meaning, fully interchangeable in most contexts. 不仅 is more common in modern writing; 不但 sounds a touch older or more formal.
不仅... 也/还...
也/还 is the casual escalation — works in everyday speech. 更/而且 lifts the register and adds rhetorical weight. Pick by register: 也/还 for conversation, 更/而且 for writing or formal talk.
既... 又...
'Both X and Y' — coordinates two equal qualities without escalation. Use it when neither side outranks the other. 不仅...更... explicitly stacks, with the second point bigger.
Practice
Fill in: 他____是老师，____是我的朋友。
Show answer
不仅；更
Translate to Chinese: This city is not only beautiful — more importantly, the people are very kind.
Show answer
这个城市不仅漂亮，更重要的是人很热情。
Arrange: 不仅 / 而且 / 这个手机 / 便宜 / 好用
Show answer
这个手机不仅便宜，而且好用。
Use 不仅...更... to describe someone you admire.
Show answer
我妈妈不仅会做很多好吃的菜，更教会了我怎么照顾别人。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 不仅……，更…… / 不仅……，而且…… 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.