不只是 X，也 / 还 Y
Reach for this when you want to push past a too-narrow framing and add a second point — 'it's not just X, it's also Y.' The first clause names what people might assume; the second tacks on something extra they should also consider. Common when reframing, correcting an assumption, or expanding scope. Slightly softer than 不但...还..., which leans into escalation.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 不只是 [X], 也 / 还 [Y]
bù zhǐshì... yě / hái...
How to Think About It
不只是 is a frame-widener. The first half acknowledges what the listener probably already had in mind ('yes, it's X — fair'); the second half adds the part they were missing ('and ALSO Y'). Unlike 不但...还..., Y here doesn't need to be bigger or more dramatic — just additional. Use it when you're correcting an under-count, not when you're escalating impact.
Examples
这部电影不只是好看, 还很感人。
Zhè bù diànyǐng bù zhǐshì hǎokàn, hái hěn gǎnrén.
This film isn't just good — it's also moving.
她不只是我同事, 也是我最好的朋友。
Tā bù zhǐshì wǒ tóngshì, yě shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou.
She isn't just my coworker — she's also my best friend.
这个问题不只是钱的事, 还涉及到信任。
Zhège wèntí bù zhǐshì qián de shì, hái shèjí dào xìnrèn.
This issue isn't just about money — it also involves trust.
Common Mistake
Learners drop the 也/还 in the second clause, treating 不只是 as a one-shot phrase like English 'not only.' Chinese needs the echo word to close the loop. Also, learners use it where Y is unrelated to X — Y has to be on the same axis (same topic) as X.
他不只是医生, 他有一辆车。
他不只是医生, 还是作家。
Don't Confuse With
不但 ... 还 / 而且 ...
Stronger escalation — Y is bigger or more impressive than X. 不只是...也... just widens the frame without insisting Y outdoes X.
除了 X 以外, 还有 Y
'Besides X, also Y.' Treats X and Y as equal members of a set. 不只是...还... corrects an assumption that the topic was JUST X.
不仅 X, 也 Y
More formal cousin of 不只是. Prefer 不仅 in writing, 不只是 in speech. Same grammar, different register.
Practice
他 ___ 我的老师, 还是我的朋友。
Show answer
不只是
这个城市不只是漂亮, ___ 很有历史。
Show answer
也
Put in order: [不只是 / 还 / 工作 / 兴趣 / 这 / 是 / 我的]
Show answer
这不只是我的工作, 还是我的兴趣。
Translate to Chinese: 'This isn't just a game — it's also a way to make friends.'
Show answer
这不只是一个游戏, 也是一种交朋友的方式。
Write one sentence reframing something people misunderstand, using 不只是...还/也....
Show answer
Example answer: 学中文不只是为了考试, 也是为了了解文化。 (Learning Chinese isn't just for the exam — it's also for understanding the culture.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 不只是 X，也 / 还 Y 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.