不只是...还要...
Reach for this when you want to push past one obvious point and add a second, often harder requirement — 'not only X, but also need to Y.' The 要 in the second clause signals that the second part is a demand or expectation, not just a fact. Common in advice, parenting, instructional writing, and motivational contexts. The first clause sets the baseline most people accept; the second raises the bar.
Structure
Subject + 不只是 + Clause₁, 还要 + Clause₂
bù zhǐ shì... hái yào...
How to Think About It
不只是...还要... layers a heavier expectation on top of an easier one. The first clause is what people already do or already accept; the second clause is the additional thing you're insisting on. Think of it as 'X is the floor — but the actual standard is X plus Y.' Different from 不只是...还是..., which simply adds information without urgency. The 要 in this version commits the listener to action.
Examples
做菜不只是要好吃，还要好看。
Zuò cài bù zhǐ shì yào hǎochī, hái yào hǎokàn.
Cooking isn't just about taste — it also needs to look good.
工作不只是为了赚钱，还要让自己开心。
Gōngzuò bù zhǐ shì wèile zhuàn qián, hái yào ràng zìjǐ kāixīn.
Work isn't only about making money — it also needs to make you happy.
锻炼身体不只是跑步，还要注意饮食。
Duànliàn shēntǐ bù zhǐ shì pǎobù, hái yào zhùyì yǐnshí.
Getting in shape isn't just running — you also need to watch what you eat.
学语言不只是要听懂，还要能开口说。
Xué yǔyán bù zhǐ shì yào tīng dǒng, hái yào néng kāikǒu shuō.
Learning a language isn't only about understanding — you also need to be able to speak.
Common Mistake
Learners use 也 instead of 还要 in the second clause, which flattens the pattern into 'also.' Without 还要, you lose the sense that the second clause is an additional requirement, not just an additional fact. Use 还 to escalate, and keep 要 to mark the demand.
学中文不只是要背单词，也学语法。
学中文不只是要背单词，还要学语法。
Don't Confuse With
不仅...还...
Same logic, slightly more formal and broader scope — works for facts and requirements alike. 不只是...还要... is more colloquial and specifically frames the second clause as a 'should-do.'
不但...而且...
Bookish, written register. Adds an additional fact, often surprising. 不只是...还要... is conversational and oriented toward action or expectation.
除了...还...
'Besides X, also Y' — neutral additive. 不只是...还要... emphasizes that X alone is insufficient; you need Y as well.
Practice
Fill in: 旅游 ___ 看风景， ___ 体验当地文化。
Show answer
不只是...还要
Translate to Chinese: A good teacher doesn't just teach knowledge — they also need to care about students.
Show answer
好老师不只是要教知识，还要关心学生。
Arrange: 不只是 / 努力 / 方法 / 还要 / 成功 / 有
Show answer
成功不只是努力，还要有方法。
Use 不只是...还要... to talk about what makes someone good at their job.
Show answer
做记者不只是会写文章，还要敢提问。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 不只是...还要... 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.