Conjunction Part III

In the last article of this conjunction series， we'll be introducing terms that help you express progressive relationships in Chinese sentences. At the same time, take note of the vocabulary and phrases used in the sample sentences and learn them. Let's begin!

不但... 而且...(bú dàn... ér qiě... not only... but also...)

This conjunction is used to indicate addition to emphasise certain characteristics of the subject in the sentence. The adjectives used in this kind of sentence are either all positive or all negative. Let's look at the following three sentences that use this conjunction:

• 他不但成绩很好，而且还很喜欢帮助同学。

  tā bú dàn chéng ji hěn hǎo, ér qiě hái hěn xǐ huan bāng zhù tóng xué.

  Not only does he have good grades, but he also likes to help his classmates.

• 这本书不但有趣，而且内容很丰富。

  zhè běn shū bú dàn yǒu qù, ér qiě nèi róng hěn fēng fù

  This book is not only interesting but also very informative.

• 这个产品不但不便宜，而且质量还很差。

  zhè ge chǎn pǐn bú dàn bù pián yi, ér qiě zhì liàng hái hěn chà.

  This product is not only expensive but also of poor quality.

不仅... 还...(bù jǐn... hái... not only... (but) also...)

This is another way to express progressive relationships in Chinese that is similar to the one above. Let's look at the following three sentences that use this conjunction:

• 小月不仅喜欢唱歌，她还喜欢跳舞。

  Xiǎo Yuè bù jǐn xǐ huan chàng gē, tā hái xǐ huan tiào wǔ.

  Xiaoyue not only likes to sing, but he also likes to dance.

• 小刚不仅会说汉语和英语，他还会说西班牙语。

  Xiǎo Gāng bù jǐn huì shuō hàn yǔ hé yīng yǔ, tā hái huì shuō xī bān yá yǔ.

  Xiaogang not only speaks Chinese and English, he also speaks Spanish.

• 想要学好汉语，不仅要多听多看，还要多练多说。

  xiǎng yào xué hǎo hàn yǔ, bù jǐn yào duō tīng duō kàn, hái yào duō liàn duō shuō.

  If you want to learn Chinese well, you must not only listen and read more, but also practice and speak more.

除了... 还/也...(chú le... hái/yě... besides / other than...)

This conjunction "除了" is equivalent to "besides" or "other than" in English, which often used together with "还" or "也". Let's look at the following three sentences that use this conjunction:

• 我妈妈除了上班，每天还要做家务。

  wǒ mā ma chú le shàng bān, měi tiān hái yào zuò jiā wù.

  Besides going to work, my mother also has to do housework every day.

• 小雪除了喜欢吃中国菜，还喜欢吃西餐。

  Xiǎo Xuě chú le xǐ huan chī zhōng guó cài, hái xǐ huan chī xī cān.

  Besides Chinese food, Xiaoxue also likes to eat Western food.

• 我除了喜欢看电影，还喜欢旅游。

  wǒ chú le xǐ huan kàn diàn yǐng, hái xǐ huan lǚ yóu.

  Besides watching movies, I also like traveling.

We've learned three useful ways to express progressive relationships in Chinese. To know how to use them, you can try to form simple sentences using the words that you already know. Stay tuned to this blog for more updates on other Chinese learning materials and tips. If you want to learn and improve your Chinese at Hanhai Language Studio in Singapore, you can contact us anytime for a free consultation session. See you in the next article!