不仅 / 不只 ... 也 / 还 ...
Reach for this when you want to stack two facts about the same subject and make the second one feel bigger or more surprising — 'not only X, but also Y.' The first half states a known or expected fact; the second half escalates with something extra. Common in journalism and analysis where the writer is pushing the reader past a narrow interpretation. 不仅 is slightly more formal; 不只 is its casual twin. Pair either with 也 (calm parallel) or 还 (momentum-adding 'also' / 'even').
Structure
[SUBJECT] 不仅 / 不只 [FACT 1]，也 / 还 [FACT 2]
bùjǐn / bùzhǐ... yě / hái...
How to Think About It
不仅/不只 sets up an expectation that the first fact is the whole story, then immediately breaks it. The 也 or 还 in the second clause is doing the load-bearing 'and there's more' work. Pick 也 when the two facts are calmly parallel; pick 还 when the second fact escalates or surprises. Skipping the 也/还 entirely leaves the sentence dangling — Chinese requires the second-half marker even though English often drops it.
Examples
他不仅会说中文，还会说四种其他语言。
Tā bùjǐn huì shuō Zhōngwén, hái huì shuō sì zhǒng qítā yǔyán.
He doesn't just speak Chinese — he speaks four other languages too.
这部电影不只在国内火，也在国外得了奖。
Zhè bù diànyǐng bùzhǐ zài guónèi huǒ, yě zài guówài déle jiǎng.
This film isn't only popular at home — it also won awards abroad.
这个政策不仅影响经济，还影响普通人的生活。
Zhège zhèngcè bùjǐn yǐngxiǎng jīngjì, hái yǐngxiǎng pǔtōng rén de shēnghuó.
This policy doesn't only affect the economy — it also affects ordinary people's lives.
Common Mistake
Learners write 不仅 in the first half and forget the 也/还 in the second, because English 'not only X, Y' can omit the connector. Chinese needs both halves of the pair; dropping the 也/还 makes the sentence feel cut off.
原本是医学问题，不仅变成了政治问题。
原本是医学问题，不仅变成了政治问题，也变成了一个国家的考验。
Don't Confuse With
不但...而且...
Same meaning, formal/written register. Use 不但...而且 in essays and speeches; use 不仅...也/还 in journalism and conversation. 而且 has a slightly stronger 'moreover' feel than 也.
除了...还/也...
'Besides X, also Y' — both items are visible from the start, no escalation implied. Use 除了 when listing what's outside an obvious category; use 不仅 when you want to push past the first fact toward a bigger one.
X 不只是 ...，Y 也是 ...
Similar logic, but this version explicitly redefines the SCOPE (the subject itself shifts in the second half). Use 不只是...也是 when the second half names a different subject or domain; use 不仅...也/还 when the same subject is doing two things.
Practice
Fill in: 他___会说中文，还会说英文。 (hint: not only)
Show answer
不仅
Fill in: 这部电影不只在国内火，___在国外得了奖。
Show answer
也
Arrange: 不仅 / 还 / 影响 / 影响 / 经济 / 这个政策 / 生活 / ，
Show answer
这个政策不仅影响经济，还影响生活。
Translate: He doesn't only work hard — he's also very smart.
Show answer
他不仅努力，还很聪明。
Write one sentence using 不仅...还... to stack two facts about a person or trend.
Show answer
学中文不仅有用，还很有意思。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 不仅 / 不只 ... 也 / 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.