并列复句 · HSK 4 (new at this level)

HSK 4 Pattern: 不是…而是…

Negates one interpretation and asserts the correct one. Used to correct a misunderstanding or clarify the real situation.

不是 + wrong assumption, 而是 + correct reality

Examples / 例句

他不是不想去，而是没有时间。
Tā búshì bù xiǎng qù, érshì méiyǒu shíjiān.
It's not that he doesn't want to go, but that he has no time.
Correcting a misunderstanding about his reluctance
成功不是靠运气，而是靠努力。
Chénggōng búshì kào yùnqi, érshì kào nǔlì.
Success isn't about luck, but about effort.
Correcting a common belief
我不是生气，而是有点儿失望。
Wǒ búshì shēngqì, érshì yǒudiǎnr shīwàng.
I'm not angry, just a bit disappointed.
Clarifying the real emotion
这次比赛重要的不是输赢，而是参加的过程。
Zhè cì bǐsài zhòngyào de búshì shū yíng, érshì cānjiā de guòchéng.
What matters in this competition isn't winning or losing, but the experience of taking part.
Reframes priorities — common HSK 4 essay/reading-passage thesis
学好一门外语，难的不是发音，而是坚持。
Xué hǎo yì mén wàiyǔ, nán de búshì fāyīn, érshì jiānchí.
When learning a foreign language, the hard part isn't pronunciation — it's persistence.
Corrects a common assumption — HSK 4 language-learning topic

Choose the meaning first / 先看要表达什么

他不是不会做，而是不想做。He can do it, but does not want to. Compare 他不但会做，而且做得很好。The second sentence adds information; it does not reject the first part. 注意“不是不会”保留了“会”的意思。

Practise the pattern / 开始练习 →

Common Errors & Meaning Differences / 易错点与表达区别

△ 来的不是小王，而且小李。
✓ 来的不是小王，而是小李。
不是…而是 rejects one identification and supplies another. 不是他来了，而是她来了 is also grammatical: whole clauses can be contrasted. 不要把完整分句也能使用的结构误当成只能接名词。
△ 他不是聪明，而且努力。
✓ 他不是聪明，而是努力。/ 他不但聪明，而且努力。
不是 pairs with 而是 (correction). 不但 pairs with 而且 (addition). Don't mix them.
Easily confused: 不是…而是 corrects. 不但…而且 adds. Very different logic. See comparison →

Fill in the Blanks / 填空练习

Fill every blank separately, using the meaning shown below the sentence. Spaces around words are ignored. Feedback lists reviewed answers; an unlisted rewrite is not automatically ungrammatical.

我不想去，没有时间。

Not unwilling, but no time

成功不是靠运气，靠努力。

...but rather by effort

他不聪明，而是不够努力。

It's not that he's not smart...

Use it in a new sentence / 换句子表达

朋友以为你不想参加聚会，其实你很想去，只是当天要上班。用“不是……而是……”纠正他的误会。 / You want to attend but have to work that day.

否定错误的解释，再给出真正的原因。 / Reject the mistaken explanation and give the real reason.

草稿只保留在当前页面，离开前请自行复制。Draft stays on this page only; copy it before leaving.

Compare one possible answer / 对照一种参考表达

我不是不想参加聚会，而是当天要上班。

Other correct wording is possible. Check the intended meaning, not exact wording. / 可以有其他正确表达，重点是保留题意。

Quick Quiz / 小测验

检查发现方法没有问题，真正的问题是态度。问题___出在方法上，___出在态度上。
The context rejects 方法 and identifies 态度. 不是…而是 corrects the diagnosis. 不但…而且 would say both are problems, contradicting “方法没有问题”。
他___不会做，___不想做。
Correcting assumption (not 'can't' but 'won't') → 不是…而是.
学好中文___靠天分，___靠坚持。
Not talent, but persistence → 不是…而是.
All Grammar Topics Take a Mock Exam Sentence Ordering

不是…而是… FAQ

When is 不是…而是… tested in HSK 4?

不是…而是… (Not A, but rather B) appears in HSK 4 reading comprehension (Q66-85) when texts use complex sentences, in 阅读排序 (Q56-65) where this pattern's connectors signal sentence order, and in listening 段落 (Q26-45) where the speaker uses it to express negates one interpretation and asserts the correct one.

What's the most common mistake with 不是…而是…?

不是…而是 corrects. 不但…而且 adds. Very different logic.

Is 不是…而是… required at HSK 4 or higher?

HSK 4 (new at this level)

← 连…都/也… Grammar Hub 一方面…另一方面… →