不但
not only
HSK level
- Pinyin
- bùdàn
- Part of speech
- conjunction
- Level
- HSK 4
- Strokes
- 11
- Register
- neutral
Stroke order for 不但
不但 is written with 11 strokes (不: 4, 但: 7). The animation replays automatically.
What does 不但 mean?
不但 (bùdàn) is a conjunction meaning 'not only,' the opening half of a correlative pair.
It sets up a two-part sentence and almost always needs a second connector — 而且 (moreover), 还 (also/still), 也 (also), or 并且 — to complete the 'not only A but also B' idea: 他不但会说中文，而且会写 (he not only speaks Chinese but also writes it). The key rule English speakers must learn is placement relative to the subject: if both clauses share one subject, 不但 goes after it (他不但…); if the two clauses have different subjects, 不但 goes before the first subject (不但他会，我也会).
不但 cannot stand alone the way English 'not only' sometimes does — the second half is expected. It escalates from a smaller point to a bigger or more surprising one.
Note: Neutral; the standard first half of the 'not only… but also' correlative pattern in both speech and writing.
Character by character
Memory hook: 'Not' (不) 'only' (但) — it says this isn't the whole story; more is coming.
Example sentences
他不但会说中文，而且说得很好。
Tā bùdàn huì shuō Zhōngwén, érqiě shuō de hěn hǎo.
He not only speaks Chinese but also speaks it very well.
neutral
这家店的东西不但便宜，还很好吃。
Zhè jiā diàn de dōngxi bùdàn piányi, hái hěn hǎochī.
This shop's food is not only cheap but also delicious.
spoken
不但他去，我们也都去。
Bùdàn tā qù, wǒmen yě dōu qù.
Not only is he going, we're all going too.
neutral
他不但不生气，反而笑了。
Tā bùdàn bù shēngqì, fǎn'ér xiào le.
Not only was he not angry, he actually laughed.
written
Common phrases with 不但
Synonyms
不仅 is a slightly more formal, written-leaning equivalent of 不但; they are interchangeable in the 'not only… but also' pattern. Use 不仅 in essays and formal speech, 不但 in everyday conversation.
不光 is a colloquial, more spoken version of 不但, common in casual northern speech (不光他，我也去). 不但 is the neutral standard; 不光 sounds more relaxed.
Don't confuse 不但 with
FAQ
Acquire it by listening
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