不是...，不是...，是...
Reach for this when you want to build suspense by ruling out obvious candidates before revealing the real one — 'not X, not Y, but Z.' The stack of 不是 clauses sets up expectations and then knocks them down; the final 是 lands the surprise. It's a classic rhetorical move in news, op-eds, and storytelling where the punchline depends on the listener expecting one of the eliminated options.
Structure
不是 [OPTION 1]，不是 [OPTION 2]（，不是 [OPTION 3]），是 [ACTUAL ANSWER]
búshì..., búshì..., shì...
How to Think About It
The pattern works because each 不是 raises an expectation and then explicitly cancels it. The more obvious the eliminated candidates, the bigger the punch when the final 是 reveals an unexpected answer. Two or three 不是 clauses is the sweet spot — one feels flat, four starts to drag. The final 是 must be short and surprising; if you bury it in qualifiers, you waste the build-up.
Examples
不是钱的问题，不是时间的问题，是态度的问题。
Búshì qián de wèntí, búshì shíjiān de wèntí, shì tàidu de wèntí.
It's not a money issue, not a time issue — it's an attitude issue.
不是他，不是我，是她做的。
Búshì tā, búshì wǒ, shì tā zuò de.
Not him, not me — she did it.
不是日本，不是德国，是越南成为最大的出口国。
Búshì Rìběn, búshì Déguó, shì Yuènán chéngwéi zuì dà de chūkǒu guó.
Not Japan, not Germany — Vietnam became the largest exporter.
Common Mistake
Learners flip the stack, putting 是 first and 不是 after, on the model of English 'it is Z, not X or Y.' That word order kills the suspense — the surprise has to come last. Also, learners sometimes drop the final 是 and end with a 不是 clause, leaving the sentence unresolved.
是韩国，不是美国，不是中国。
不是美国，不是中国，是韩国。
Don't Confuse With
不是...而是...
Two-part version: rules out ONE candidate and reveals the truth. The triple stack adds rhetorical weight when you want to enumerate multiple wrong answers before the reveal.
不是A，就是B
Means 'either A or B' — both options are still on the table. The 不是...不是...是 pattern eliminates options and names ONE truth.
并不是...，而是...
Stronger correction ('not actually X, but rather Y'). Use when you're pushing back against an existing belief, not building suspense.
Practice
不是美国，不是中国，不是印度，___ 韩国。
Show answer
是
___ 我，___ 你，是他想出的主意。
Show answer
不是 / 不是
Arrange: 是 / 不是 / 价格 / 不是 / 设计 / 质量
Show answer
不是价格，不是设计，是质量。
It's not Beijing, not Shanghai, it's Shenzhen that grew fastest.
Show answer
不是北京，不是上海，是深圳增长最快。
Build suspense with 不是...，不是...，是... to reveal a surprising answer.
Show answer
不是钱，不是名声，是自由才是他真正想要的。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 不是...，不是...，是... 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.