不但 búdàn — not only … (but also)

Meanings

1. 1

   not only … (but also)

   Opens the first half of a two-part sentence and requires an answering 而且, 还 or 也 in the second. If both halves share a subject, 不但 stands after it: 他不但…; if the subjects differ, it stands before: 不但他…, 别人也….

   conjunction

Character breakdown

• 不

  bù (fourth tone, falling)

  not, no — the general negative, placed before verbs and adjectives

  4 strokesRadical 一

Example sentences

• 他不但会说汉语，而且说得很好。/他不但會說漢語，而且說得很好。Tā (first tone, high and level) búdàn (second tone, rising) huì (fourth tone, falling) shuō (first tone, high and level) Hànyǔ, (fourth tone, falling) érqiě (second tone, rising) shuō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) hǎo. (third tone, dipping)···

  He not only speaks Chinese, he speaks it well.

• 这个房间不但大，而且很干净。/這個房間不但大，而且很乾淨。Zhège (fourth tone, falling) fángjiān (second tone, rising) búdàn (second tone, rising) dà, (fourth tone, falling) érqiě (second tone, rising) hěn (third tone, dipping) gānjìng. (first tone, high and level)···

  This room is not only big, it is clean too.

Common mistakes

• Not quite不但他会说汉语，也会写。

  Correct他不但会说汉语，也会写。

  Both halves are about the same person, so the subject 他 comes first and 不但 follows it. 不但 only precedes the subject when the second clause introduces a different one.

• Not quite这个房间不但大，很干净。

  Correct这个房间不但大，而且很干净。

  不但 cannot stand alone. The second clause must carry 而且, 还 or 也 — the pair is what makes the sentence work.

Similar words

Words containing 不

• 不bù (fourth tone, falling)not (negates verbs, adjectives and modal verbs)
• 不要bù (fourth tone, falling) yào (fourth tone, falling)don't!
• 不错/不錯bù (fourth tone, falling) cuò (fourth tone, falling)correct
• 不同bù (fourth tone, falling) tóng (second tone, rising)different
• 不断/不斷búduàn (second tone, rising)continuously, unceasingly
• 不过/不過búguò (second tone, rising)but, however (a lighter contrast than 但是)
• 不如bùrú (fourth tone, falling)to be not as good as; had better
• 不再bù (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling)no more
• 不用bù (fourth tone, falling) yòng (fourth tone, falling)need not
• 不少bù (fourth tone, falling) shǎo (third tone, dipping)many
• 差不多chàbuduō (fourth tone, falling)about the same, close enough, not much different
• 不然bùrán (fourth tone, falling)otherwise, or else
• 不管bùguǎn (fourth tone, falling)no matter (what/how…), regardless of
• 不足bùzú (fourth tone, falling)insufficient, inadequate; a shortcoming
• 不够/不夠bù (fourth tone, falling) gòu (fourth tone, falling)not enough
• 不行bù (fourth tone, falling) xíng (second tone, rising)won't do
• 不仅/不僅bù (fourth tone, falling) jǐn (third tone, dipping)not only (this one)