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
This pattern appears in 2 Fluentide episodes: