Chinese word

不但

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù dàn

Meaning

conjunctionnot only

Example

他不但会说中文，还会说英语。tā bú dàn huì shuō zhōng wén hái huì shuō yīng yǔ

He can speak not only Chinese but also English.

More examples

妈妈不但会做饭，还会打扫卫生。mā mā bú dàn huì zuò fàn hái huì dá sǎo wèi shēng

Mom can not only cook but also clean.

Core concept

Opens a pair in which one fact is true and a second fact joins it.

Common phrases

不但...而且...bú dàn ér qiě
not only ___ but also ___
不但...还...bú dàn hái
not only ___ but also ___

Similar words

不仅bù jǐn: Shows that a fact is true and that another fact beyond it is true too.
而且ér qiě: Puts an extra point after an earlier point, often with the sense of moreover.

Definition in Chinese

用来把两个并列内容连接起来，强调前项不仅成立，后项也成立，常与“还”“而且”等词搭配。yòng lái bǎ liǎng gè bìng liè nèi róng lián jiē qǐ lái qiáng diào qián xiàng bù jǐn chéng lì hòu xiàng yě chéng lì cháng yǔ hái ér qiě děng cí dā pèi

Word origin

The word 不但 (bùdàn, "not only") combines 不 (bù, "not") with the older limiting sense of 但 (dàn, "only").

Usage tips

In Chinese, 不但 (bùdàn, "not only") usually starts the first part of a linked pair, so the sentence structure becomes easier to follow when 还 (hái, "also") or 而且 (érqiě, "moreover") appears later.