不只是...也...
Reach for this when one thing you just mentioned isn't the whole story — there's a second case that also applies. It's the spoken cousin of 不仅...也... and the natural way to say 'not just X, also Y' in Chinese. Speakers use it to widen the scope of what they're talking about: the problem isn't limited to A, B is in the same situation. Adult, conversational register — fine in news commentary, podcasts, everyday speech.
Structure
不只是 [A] 也 [B]
bùzhǐshì... yě...
How to Think About It
Think of 不只是 as 'don't stop at this one.' You say the first thing, then signal that you're about to expand the circle. 也 in the second clause does the work English usually loads onto 'also' or 'too' — it has to be there, because without it the sentence sounds like you started a contrast and forgot the second half.
Examples
这个问题不只是我有，很多人也有。
Zhège wèntí bùzhǐshì wǒ yǒu, hěnduō rén yě yǒu.
It's not just me who has this problem — a lot of people do too.
他不只是会说英语，也会说一点中文。
Tā bùzhǐshì huì shuō Yīngyǔ, yě huì shuō yīdiǎn Zhōngwén.
He doesn't just speak English; he also speaks a little Chinese.
今天不只是很冷，也很干。
Jīntiān bùzhǐshì hěn lěng, yě hěn gān.
Today isn't just cold — it's also very dry.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 也 in the second clause, thinking 不只是 alone is enough. In Chinese the 也 is structurally required — it's what closes the loop.
不只是美国人受影响，全世界受影响。
不只是美国人受影响，全世界也受影响。
Don't Confuse With
不仅...也...
Same meaning, slightly more formal. Pick 不仅 in essays and reports, 不只是 in speech and casual writing.
不仅...而且...
Use when the second item is a stronger or escalated case, not just a parallel one. 不只是...也... stays parallel.
不是...而是...
That one corrects A and replaces it with B. 不只是...也... keeps A and adds B.
Practice
Fill in: ____是我喜欢这家店，我朋友也喜欢。
Show answer
不只
Fill in: 这部电影不只是好看，____很有意思。
Show answer
也
Arrange: 我 / 也 / 喜欢 / 他 / 不只是 / 喜欢
Show answer
不只是我喜欢，他也喜欢。
Translate to Chinese: It's not just expensive, it's also hard to buy.
Show answer
不只是贵，也很难买。
Write one sentence with 不只是...也... about something that affects more than one group of people.
Show answer
这次的政策不只是影响年轻人，也影响老人。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 2 Fluentide episodes: