not only... but; not only
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesconjunction
not only; not merely; not simply
literaryUsed in a rhetorical question structure to emphatically deny a presupposition and introduce a further, often more extreme, example. The clause after 岂但 is usually negative or carries a negative connotation.
Qǐ岂
dàn但
nǐ你
bù不
zhī知
dào道
，
lián连
wǒ我
zì自
jǐ己
yě也
bù不
qīng清
chu楚
ne呢
。
Not only do you not know, even I am not clear myself.
Zhè这
jiàn件
shì事
qǐ岂
dàn但
yǒu有
kùn困
nan难
，
jiǎn简
zhí直
shì是
gēn根
běn本
wú无
fǎ法
wán完
chéng成
。
This matter is not only difficult, it's simply impossible to complete.
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Tā他
de的
xíng行
wéi为
qǐ岂
dàn但
yǒu有
shī失
tǐ体
miàn面
，
lián连
zuì最
jī基
běn本
de的
dào道
dé德
dōu都
sàng丧
shī失
le了
。
His behavior is not merely unbecoming, it has lost even the most basic morality.
Xīn新
zhì制
dù度
qǐ岂
dàn但
bù不
shòu受
huān欢
yíng迎
，
hái还
zāo遭
dào到
le了
qiáng强
liè烈
de的
fǎn反
duì对
。
The new system is not only unpopular, it has even met with strong opposition.