X 不只是 ...，还 ...
Use this when you want to add a second, often more impressive, point to the first. The 不只是 acknowledges that the first point is true but signals 'wait, there's more.' Then 还 delivers the second point with the feel of bonus information. Common in news framing, ad copy, and any time the speaker wants to upgrade the listener's view of something.
Structure
[X] 不只是 [POINT A]，还 [POINT B]
... bù zhǐ shì ..., hái ...
How to Think About It
Think of 不只是...还... as 'not just A — also B,' with the rhetorical lift living in 还. 不只是 sets up the floor (yes, A is true); 还 climbs above it with extra weight (and also B). The structure is cumulative, not contrastive — both points are TRUE; the speaker is just upgrading the listener's mental picture. Compare with 不是...而是..., which REPLACES the first claim. 不只是...还... keeps both and stacks them.
Examples
他不只是一个演员，还是一个导演。
tā bù zhǐ shì yí gè yǎnyuán, hái shì yí gè dǎoyǎn.
He's not just an actor — he's also a director.
这本书不只是讲历史，还讲生活。
zhè běn shū bù zhǐ shì jiǎng lìshǐ, hái jiǎng shēnghuó.
This book isn't just about history; it's also about life.
她不只是会说英语，还会说三种其他语言。
tā bù zhǐ shì huì shuō Yīngyǔ, hái huì shuō sān zhǒng qítā yǔyán.
She doesn't just speak English — she also speaks three other languages.
Common Mistake
Learners confuse 不只是 with 不是 and accidentally negate the first half. 不是A而是B = not A, but B (A is false). 不只是A还B = not just A, also B (A is true; B is more). Dropping the 只 changes the meaning completely.
他不是医生，还是作家。
他不只是医生，还是作家。
Don't Confuse With
不仅...而且...
Formal/written equivalent — 'not only... but also...'. Use in essays and reports; 不只是...还... is more conversational.
不是...而是...
Replacement, not addition. 不是A而是B says A is wrong, B is the truth. 不只是A还B says A is right, and B is also right.
除了...还...
'Besides X, also Y.' Same additive feel but starts from an exception; 不只是 starts from a description being upgraded.
Practice
Fill the blank: 他不____是工程师，还是设计师。
Show answer
只
Fill the blank: 这家餐厅不只是好吃，____很便宜。
Show answer
还
Arrange: 她 / 不只是 / 我的同事 / 还是 / 我的朋友
Show answer
她不只是我的同事，还是我的朋友。
Translate to Chinese: This place isn't just clean — it's also quiet.
Show answer
这个地方不只是干净，还很安静。
Write a sentence using 不只是...还... to upgrade a description.
Show answer
这个工作不只是赚钱，还能学到很多东西。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear X 不只是 ...，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.