Grammar › Extent & Frequency
〜だけでなく — “not only… but also”
Adding a second item: 英語だけでなく、中国語も話せる — not only English, but Chinese too
Noun/plain form + だけでなく (often paired with も at the end) says something goes beyond a first, more limited item — “not only X, but also Y.” It's the clearest, most neutral way to build this pattern, less literary than のみならず (its N2 cousin).
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun + だけでなく、〜も | 英語だけでなく、中国語も話せる — can speak not only English, but Chinese too |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 彼は英語だけでなく、中国語も話せる。 | かれはえいごだけでなく、ちゅうごくごもはなせる。 karehaeigodakedenaku、chuugokugomohanaseru。 | He can speak not only English, but Chinese too. |
| この店はパンだけでなく、ケーキもおいしい。 | このみせはぱんだけでなく、けーきもおいしい。 konomisehapandakedenaku、ke-kimooishii。 | This shop's cake is delicious too, not just its bread. |
| 値段が安いだけでなく、質もいい。 | ねだんがやすいだけでなく、しつもいい。 nedangayasuidakedenaku、shitsumoii。 | It's not just cheap — the quality is good too. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
だけでなく virtually always needs a matching も later in the sentence to introduce the second item — dropping that も makes the sentence feel incomplete, like a list that trails off.