不仅... 更/还...
Reach for 不仅...更/还... when you want to escalate, not just add — 'not only X, but even more importantly Y.' Use 更 when the second point outranks the first in significance; use 还 when you're simply adding another fact. This is the pattern news writers and analysts pull out when they want to land their bigger point in the second clause. The structure signals to the reader: pay attention, what comes after 更/还 is the real headline.
Structure
不仅 [POINT A], 更/还 [BIGGER OR ADDITIONAL POINT B]
bùjǐn... gèng/hái...
How to Think About It
更 and 还 are not interchangeable here. 更 means 'even more so' — the second clause is heavier than the first. 还 means 'and also' — the second clause just adds. So 不仅...更... is a deliberate escalation; 不仅...还... is parallel addition. Native writers reach for 更 when they want the second point to land like a punchline; they use 还 when they just want to stack examples.
Examples
这家餐厅不仅菜好吃, 价格更便宜。
Zhè jiā cāntīng bùjǐn cài hǎochī, jiàgé gèng piányí.
This restaurant not only has great food — the prices are even better.
他不仅会说中文, 还会写书法。
Tā bùjǐn huì shuō Zhōngwén, hái huì xiě shūfǎ.
He not only speaks Chinese, but also does calligraphy.
这项技术不仅省钱, 更能保护环境。
Zhè xiàng jìshù bùjǐn shěng qián, gèng néng bǎohù huánjìng.
This technology not only saves money, but more importantly protects the environment.
他不仅会说中文, 也会写汉字。
Tā bùjǐn huì shuō Zhōngwén, yě huì xiě Hànzì.
He can not only speak Chinese, but also write characters.
这部电影不仅有意思, 更让人深思。
Zhè bù diànyǐng bùjǐn yǒu yìsi, gèng ràng rén shēnsī.
This film is not only entertaining, it actually makes you think.
她不仅是一位好医生, 也是一位好老师。
Tā bùjǐn shì yī wèi hǎo yīshēng, yě shì yī wèi hǎo lǎoshī.
She is not only a good doctor, but also a good teacher.
Common Mistake
Learners default to 还 every time because it's the safer 'also.' But this flattens the sentence — using 更 when the second clause is genuinely more important makes your Chinese sound much more native. The opposite mistake: dropping 不仅 from the first clause, which leaves 更 hanging without setup.
他不仅是我的老师, 他是我的朋友。
他不仅是我的老师, 更是我的朋友。
Don't Confuse With
不仅...而且...
而且 is the textbook 'but also' — neutral addition. 更/还 sound more sophisticated, especially 更 with its escalation. In conversation, 而且 is fine; in writing, 更 sounds sharper.
不但...也/还...
Same family, slightly more spoken. 不但 and 不仅 are near-synonyms; 不仅 leans literary. In formal writing pick 不仅; in casual speech 不但 is fine.
除了...还/也...
除了 means 'besides X, also Y' — it lists items, not arguments. 不仅 introduces an argument that gets escalated. 'Besides apples, I also bought bananas' = 除了; 'he is not only smart but also kind' = 不仅.
不但...而且...
Same meaning, slightly more conversational. 不仅...更/也... reads more formal and is preferred in writing.
不仅...还...
Interchangeable with 也, but 还 feels slightly more spoken. Use 更 only when the second point clearly outweighs the first.
Practice
他 ___ 是个好医生, 更是个好父亲。
Show answer
不仅
这本书不仅有用, ___ 很有趣。 (use the escalating word)
Show answer
更
Put in order: [不仅 / 还 / 她 / 唱歌 / 跳舞 / 会 / 会]
Show answer
她不仅会唱歌, 还会跳舞。
Translate to Chinese: 'He is not only my colleague, but even more importantly my best friend.'
Show answer
他不仅是我的同事, 更是我最好的朋友。
Write a sentence praising a person or product, using 不仅...更... to escalate.
Show answer
Example answer: 这款手机不仅速度快, 更比以前的型号便宜。 (This phone is not only fast, but even cheaper than the previous model.)
他____会说中文, 也会写汉字。
Show answer
不仅
这部电影不仅有意思, ____让人深思。
Show answer
更
Arrange: 她 / 也 / 不仅 / 唱歌 / 跳舞 / 会 / 会
Show answer
她不仅会唱歌, 也会跳舞。
This technology not only solved the shortage problem, it also made Chinese AI stand out internationally.
Show answer
这种技术不仅解决了短缺的问题, 也让中国的人工智能在国际上崭露头角。
Write a sentence using 不仅...更... to praise something you like.
Show answer
这家餐厅不仅菜好吃, 更让人觉得像在家里一样。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 2 Fluentide episodes. Press play to hear the sentence:
然而，中国医疗的全球化步伐并不仅仅局限于“引进来”，更在积极地“走出去”。
However, China's medical globalization is not limited to "bringing patients in" — it is also actively "going out."
Mongolian Baby Saved at Shanghai Renji HospitalAdvanced
这不仅仅是一个简单的数字增长，更重要的是这些职位的含金量发生了质的飞跃。
This is not just a simple numerical increase; more importantly, the value and quality of these positions have undergone a qualitative leap.
US Tech Firms Shift Jobs to IndiaAdvanced
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 不仅... 更/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.