Have you ever been stuck trying to express \”not only… but also\” in Chinese? Well, let me introduce you to the magical phrase: \”bùjǐn… érqiě\” (不仅…而且). This little duo is your golden ticket to sounding fluent and sophisticated in Mandarin. Imagine you’re at a dinner party and want to impress everyone by saying, \”Not only is this dumpling delicious, but it’s also handmade!\”—boom, you’d say, \”Zhège jiǎozi bùjǐn hǎochī, érqiě shì shǒugōng de!\” (这个饺子不仅好吃，而且是手工的!). See how it rolls off the tongue?
Now, let’s break it down. \”Bùjǐn\” (不仅) means \”not only,\” and \”érqiě\” (而且) is the \”but also\” part. Together, they’re like peanut butter and jelly—perfect partners. But here’s a pro tip: Chinese loves balance, so whatever you put after \”bùjǐn\” and \”érqiě\” should match in structure. For example, if you start with a verb (\”like\”), keep it going: \”Tā bùjǐn xǐhuan chànggē, érqiě xǐhuan tiàowǔ\” (他不仅喜欢唱歌，而且喜欢跳舞; \”He not only likes singing but also dancing\”). No one likes a grammatical cliffhanger!
Learning \”bùjǐn… érqiě\” is like unlocking a cheat code for Mandarin. It’s everywhere—in speeches, ads, and even TikTok captions. To master it, try this: Hunt for examples in wild Chinese content (like dramas or memes), then mimic them like a linguistic parrot. Soon, you’ll be tossing out \”not only… but also\” like a native, and hey, maybe even impress your future in-laws. Now go forth and conjure some fancy sentences—你的中文不仅会进步，而且会超厉害！(Your Chinese will not only improve but also become awesome!)