X 不是 ... 也不是 ...
Reach for this when you want to rule out two (or more) possibilities before introducing the real answer — 'not X, not Y either.' It's the classic mystery-builder: the speaker eliminates each guess in turn, often with a list of three or more, then drops the actual identity in the next sentence. Common in news, storytelling, and any moment where you want to build a little suspense by what something ISN'T. The 也 in front of each subsequent 不是 keeps the parallel rhythm going.
Structure
[X] 不是 [A]，也不是 [B]（，也不是 [C]）
bú shì... yě bú shì...
How to Think About It
Each 不是 closes a door; the 也 says 'and this door too.' The structure works because the listener is mentally generating hypotheses, and you're knocking them down one by one. The trick is to set up the elimination so the next reveal lands — usually with a 'then what IS it?' beat. Without the 也, the second 不是 sounds like a fresh statement rather than continuing the elimination.
Examples
这个东西不是星星，也不是飞机。
Zhège dōngxi bú shì xīngxing, yě bú shì fēijī.
This thing isn't a star — and it's not an airplane either.
他不是医生，也不是老师。
Tā bú shì yīshēng, yě bú shì lǎoshī.
He's not a doctor, and he's not a teacher either.
这不是错的，也不是对的，是另一种答案。
Zhè bú shì cuò de, yě bú shì duì de, shì lìng yī zhǒng dá'àn.
This isn't wrong, and it isn't right either — it's a different kind of answer.
Common Mistake
Learners say 和不是 or 又不是 because they're stitching together 'and' + 'not.' The natural connector in this elimination structure is 也 — it carries the parallel-listing job.
不是星星，和不是月亮。
不是星星，也不是月亮。
Don't Confuse With
不是 X 而是 Y
Rules out ONE thing and immediately introduces the correct one in the same breath. Use 不是...而是... when you have the answer ready; use 不是...也不是... when you're stringing together eliminations before the reveal.
既不是 X 也不是 Y
More emphatic / formal version. The 既 doubles down on 'neither.' Use 既不是 in writing or when stressing the negation; use plain 不是...也不是 in conversation and journalism.
不 [VERB] 也不 [VERB]
Same shape but with verbs, not nouns — 'doesn't X, doesn't Y either.' This pattern is the noun/identity version; the verb version describes behavior rather than identity.
Practice
Fill in: 这个东西不是星星，___不是飞机。
Show answer
也
Fill in: 他不是医生，也___是老师。
Show answer
不
Arrange: 也 / 不是 / 不是 / 老师 / 他 / 医生 / ，
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他不是医生，也不是老师。
Translate: This is not coffee, and it's not tea either.
Show answer
这不是咖啡，也不是茶。
Write one sentence using 不是...也不是... to rule out two possibilities.
Show answer
今天不是星期一，也不是星期二，是星期三。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear X 不是 ... 也不是 ... 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.