不只是 ... + 也 / 还 ...
Reach for this when the topic is wider than people are treating it — 'it's not just X, it's also Y.' 不只是 calls out a too-narrow framing in the first clause, and 也 or 还 lands the additional reality in the second. It's the everyday spoken cousin of 不仅是 — same logic, friendlier register. Common when widening the scope of a story ('this isn't just about one beach,' 'this isn't only my problem,' 'it's not just expensive, it's also slow').
Structure
不只是 [NARROW VIEW], 也 / 还 [WIDER REALITY]
bù zhǐ shì ..., yě / hái ...
How to Think About It
不只 puts the brakes on a narrow framing; 也 / 还 then ushers in what's been left out. The two halves can share the same subject (more facets of one thing) or introduce parallel subjects (this plus that). 也 favors parallel additions on the same theme; 还 carries the energy of 'and on top of that.' Pick by feel — both are grammatical with this pattern.
Examples
他不只是我的同事, 也是我最好的朋友。
Tā bù zhǐ shì wǒ de tóngshì, yě shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou.
He's not just my coworker; he's also my best friend.
这家店不只是卖咖啡, 还卖书。
Zhè jiā diàn bù zhǐ shì mài kāfēi, hái mài shū.
This shop doesn't just sell coffee; it also sells books.
受影响的不只是学生, 也有老师。
Shòu yǐngxiǎng de bù zhǐ shì xuésheng, yě yǒu lǎoshī.
It's not only students who are affected; teachers are too.
Common Mistake
Learners drop the 也 / 还 entirely because English 'not just X, Y' doesn't always need 'also.' In Chinese the second half needs an explicit additive marker — otherwise the sentence feels chopped, like 'not just X. Y.'
不只是一个海滩关了, 别的也很危险。
不只是一个海滩关了, 别的海滩也很危险。
Don't Confuse With
不仅是 ... 也 / 还 ...
Same meaning, slightly more formal/written. 不仅 sounds polished; 不只 sounds conversational. Pick by the register of the rest of the sentence.
不仅仅是 ... 也 / 还 ...
Emphatic version with doubled 仅. Adds 'don't underestimate this' pushback energy. Use when you're correcting a narrow framing forcefully.
不是 ... 而是 ...
Opposite job — CORRECTS the first claim instead of extending it. With 不只是 the first part is true but incomplete; with 不是...而是 the first part is wrong.
Practice
她 ___ 是医生, 也是作家。
Show answer
不只
我不只喜欢看电影, ___ 喜欢看书。
Show answer
还
Put in order: [不只是 / 也 / 中文 / 难 / 日文]
Show answer
不只是中文难, 日文也难。
Translate to Chinese: 'This problem isn't just mine; it's also a problem for many people.'
Show answer
这个问题不只是我的, 也是很多人的。
Write one sentence about something you do or a place you know, using 不只是 ... 也 / 还 ... to widen the picture.
Show answer
Example answer: 运动不只是为了健康, 也是为了开心。 (Exercise isn't just for health; it's also for being happy.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 不只是 ... + 也 / 还 ... 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.