并不...
Reach for this when you want to push back on an assumption the listener seems to be holding — 'not really,' 'not at all,' 'actually not.' 并不 is corrective negation: it doesn't just deny, it pointedly denies. Use it when someone has implied X and you want to say 'X isn't actually true.' Common in essays, debates, news commentary, and thoughtful conversation. The 并 ('actually / really') puts an emphasizing finger on the 不. Slightly literary, but readily used in educated speech.
Structure
(Subject) + 并不 + Verb/Adjective.
bìng bù
How to Think About It
Think of 并不 as 'contrary to what you might think, not.' Plain 不 is neutral negation ('isn't'); 并不 is negation aimed at a wrong assumption. If a friend says 'so this is hard, huh?' and it actually isn't, you'd answer 并不难 ('not really hard') rather than 不难. The 并 signals you're correcting an impression, not just stating a fact.
Examples
这道题并不难。
Zhè dào tí bìng bù nán.
This problem isn't actually hard.
他并不喜欢热闹。
Tā bìng bù xǐhuān rènào.
He doesn't really like noisy crowds.
事情并不像你想的那么简单。
Shìqing bìng bù xiàng nǐ xiǎng de nàme jiǎndān.
Things aren't as simple as you think.
我并不后悔我的选择。
Wǒ bìng bù hòuhuǐ wǒ de xuǎnzé.
I don't actually regret my choice.
Common Mistake
Learners use 并不 before nouns or noun phrases — 并不学生. 并不 only modifies verbs and adjectives. To negate a noun identity, use 并不是 ('is not, actually').
他并不老师。
他并不是老师。
Don't Confuse With
不
Plain negation — neutral, no implied assumption. Use 不 for simple denials; use 并不 when correcting a wrong impression.
并没有
Same corrective tone, but for past actions or possession ('didn't actually X' / 'doesn't actually have'). Pair with verbs of completion or 有.
其实不
'Actually not' — also corrective, slightly more casual. 并不 is tighter and feels more like written argument; 其实 has a conversational hedge.
Practice
Fill in: 这件事____像看起来那么容易。 (not actually)
Show answer
并不
Translate to Chinese: I'm not actually tired.
Show answer
我并不累。
Arrange: 难 / 这 / 并不 / 工作 / 份
Show answer
这份工作并不难。
Use 并不 to correct an assumption someone has about you.
Show answer
我并不喜欢咖啡，我更喜欢茶。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 并不... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
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