不仅仅... (也/还)...
Reach for this when you want to push back against an under-description — 'she isn't just X, she's also Y.' 不仅仅 is the emphatic cousin of 不仅: the extra 仅 doubles down on 'merely / only,' signaling that the first description undersells the truth. The follow-up 也/还 clause then delivers the fuller picture. Common when introducing people, products, or events that deserve more credit than the obvious label gives them.
Structure
不仅仅 [LIMITED LABEL], 也/还 [FULLER TRUTH]
bùjǐnjǐn... yě/hái...
How to Think About It
The doubled 仅 carries pushback energy — you're rejecting a too-narrow framing before adding to it. Use 不仅仅 (not 不仅) when there's an implied audience who would settle for the first label. 'She isn't JUST a student' implies someone called her 'just a student' and you're correcting them. Without that pushback flavor, plain 不仅 or 不但 is the better fit.
Examples
他不仅仅是我的同事, 也是我的朋友。
Tā bùjǐnjǐn shì wǒ de tóngshì, yě shì wǒ de péngyou.
He isn't just my coworker, he's also my friend.
这个手机不仅仅好看, 还很好用。
Zhège shǒujī bùjǐnjǐn hǎokàn, hái hěn hǎoyòng.
This phone isn't just good-looking, it's also easy to use.
中文不仅仅是一门语言, 也是一种文化。
Zhōngwén bùjǐnjǐn shì yì mén yǔyán, yě shì yì zhǒng wénhuà.
Chinese isn't just a language; it's also a culture.
Common Mistake
Learners drop the 也 or 还 in the second clause because English 'not just X, Y' doesn't repeat 'also.' In Chinese, 不仅仅 sets up a slot that 也/还 must fill — leaving it blank makes the sentence feel cut off.
她不仅仅是学生, 是运动员。
她不仅仅是学生, 也是运动员。
Don't Confuse With
不仅...也/还...
Plainer twin. 不仅 is neutral additive; 不仅仅 adds emphasis and pushback. Use 不仅 in writing; reach for 不仅仅 when you're correcting someone's narrow framing.
不但...还...
Spoken-register version that simply stacks two facts. 不仅仅 carries the implied 'don't underestimate' tone; 不但 doesn't.
不是...而是...
Corrects the first claim entirely instead of extending it. With 不仅仅, the first label is true but incomplete; with 不是...而是..., the first label is wrong.
Practice
她 ___ 是老师, 也是我的妈妈。
Show answer
不仅仅
这本书不仅仅有意思, ___ 很有用。
Show answer
还
Put in order: [不仅仅 / 也 / 学生 / 他 / 是 / 是 / 运动员]
Show answer
他不仅仅是学生, 也是运动员。
Translate to Chinese: 'This city isn't just beautiful, it's also very safe.'
Show answer
这个城市不仅仅漂亮, 还很安全。
Write one sentence about something you do that people underestimate, using 不仅仅... 也/还....
Show answer
Example answer: 跑步不仅仅是运动, 也是我放松的方式。 (Running isn't just exercise; it's also how I relax.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: