不是……也不是……而是……
Reach for this when you want to rule out TWO wrong assumptions and pin down the right one — 'not A, not B, but actually C.' It is the deluxe correction pattern. Use it when you suspect the listener might guess wrong in more than one direction, so you preemptively knock down both before naming the truth. Common in profiles, explanations of motive, and analytical writing: 'they're not here for X, not for Y — they're here for Z.'
Structure
不是 [WRONG 1], 也不是 [WRONG 2], 而是 [CORRECT]
búshì... yě búshì... érshì...
How to Think About It
Each item in the three-way frame has to be the same kind of thing — three reasons, three nouns, three verb phrases — because they all fill the same slot. The pattern is just 不是...而是... with an extra 也不是 wedged in to dismiss a second guess. Drop in more 也不是 clauses if you need to dismiss even more options; the 而是 always lands the real answer.
Examples
他们不是为了赚钱, 也不是为了名声, 而是为了帮助别人。
Tāmen búshì wèile zhuàn qián, yě búshì wèile míngshēng, érshì wèile bāngzhù biéren.
They're not in it for money, not for fame — they're in it to help others.
这个问题不是技术问题, 也不是资金问题, 而是态度问题。
Zhège wèntí búshì jìshù wèntí, yě búshì zījīn wèntí, érshì tàidu wèntí.
This isn't a technical problem, not a funding problem — it's an attitude problem.
她不是医生, 也不是护士, 而是医院的志愿者。
Tā búshì yīshēng, yě búshì hùshi, érshì yīyuàn de zhìyuànzhě.
She's not a doctor, not a nurse — she's a hospital volunteer.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 也 in the second 不是, producing 不是...不是...而是.... It works grammatically but the 也 is what signals 'this is another option being dismissed.' Without it the second 不是 reads as a hesitation, not a parallel rejection.
他们不是为了赚钱, 不是为了名声, 而是为了帮助别人。
他们不是为了赚钱, 也不是为了名声, 而是为了帮助别人。
Don't Confuse With
不是...而是...
The two-slot version — just one wrong idea dismissed before the right one. Use this when only one common misconception needs correcting.
不是...就是...
Looks similar but means 'either A or B' (one of them is true). 而是 corrects; 就是 offers a choice.
既不...也不...
'Neither nor' — denies both options without affirming a third. Use this when you just want to rule things out; use 不是...也不是...而是... when you also need to name what IS true.
Practice
他们不是为了赚钱, ___ 为了名声, 而是为了帮助别人。
Show answer
也不是
这个问题不是技术问题, 也不是资金问题, ___ 态度问题。
Show answer
而是
Arrange: [而是 / 不是 / 她 / 也不是 / 志愿者 / 护士 / 医生 / 医院的]
Show answer
她不是医生, 也不是护士, 而是医院的志愿者。
Translate to Chinese: 'He's not Chinese, not Japanese — he's Korean.'
Show answer
他不是中国人, 也不是日本人, 而是韩国人。
Write one sentence using 不是...也不是...而是... correcting two common misconceptions about something you do.
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Example answer: 学中文不是为了考试, 也不是为了找工作, 而是因为我对中国文化感兴趣。 (Learning Chinese isn't for exams, isn't for finding a job — it's because I'm interested in Chinese culture.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 不是……也不是……而是…… 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.