nie net ... nie, maar ook

Not Only ... but Also

Level 3

Nie net ... nie, maar ook means not only ... but also: Sy praat nie net Afrikaans nie, maar ook Zoeloe. (She speaks not only Afrikaans but also Zulu.)

How It Works

1. The pattern. Put nie net before the first thing, close it with nie, then add maar ook and the second thing:

  • Sy praat nie net Afrikaans nie, maar ook Zoeloe. (She speaks not only Afrikaans but also Zulu.)
  • Hy is nie net slim nie, maar ook baie vriendelik. (He is not only clever but also very friendly.)

2. Why the second nie? Nie net works like other negatives, so the first part closes with nie (see double negation). The closing nie comes just before the comma, not at the end of the whole sentence.

3. With verbs. In a sentence with het, nie net goes before the ge- form: Ons het nie net geëet nie, maar ook gedans. (We didn't just eat, we also danced.) Nie net follows the verb, just like the first nie in where the first nie goes.

4. Two whole clauses. You can also start with nie net for emphasis. The verb then comes straight after it, and the second clause has its own verb with ook: Nie net het sy gekook nie, maar sy het ook die tafel gedek. (Not only did she cook, but she also set the table.)

Tip: For a simple both ... and, Afrikaans also has sowel ... as.

Examples (5)

  1. Sy praat nie net Afrikaans nie, maar ook Zoeloe.

    She speaks not only Afrikaans but also Zulu.

    Word by Word: She speaks not only Afrikaans not, but also Zulu.

  2. Hy is nie net slim nie, maar ook baie vriendelik.

    He is not only clever but also very friendly.

    Word by Word: He is not only clever not, but also very friendly.

  3. Ons het nie net geëet nie, maar ook gedans.

    We didn't just eat, we also danced.

    Word by Word: We have not only eaten not, but also danced.

  4. Die fliek was nie net snaaks nie, maar ook hartseer.

    The film was not only funny but also sad.

    Word by Word: The film was not only funny not, but also sad.

  5. Nie net het sy gekook nie, maar sy het ook die tafel gedek.

    Not only did she cook, but she also set the table.

    Word by Word: Not only has she cooked not, but she has also the table set.

    Starting with nie net puts het straight after it.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the closing nie.

    Sy praat nie net Afrikaans, maar ook Zoeloe.
    Sy praat nie net Afrikaans nie, maar ook Zoeloe.

    Nie net is negative, so the first part must close with a second nie before maar ook.

  • Putting nie net before the verb.

    Sy nie net praat Afrikaans nie, maar ook Zoeloe.
    Sy praat nie net Afrikaans nie, maar ook Zoeloe.

    The verb keeps second place, so nie net comes after praat, just like an ordinary nie.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

nie net ... nie, maar ookLevel 3Not Only ... but Also

Learn This First

Not only ... but also combines nie with maar.

Words in This Pattern

maar