не хто іншы, як
None Other than
Не хто іншы, як means none other than: Гэта быў не хто іншы, як наш настаўнік. (It was none other than our teacher.)
How It Works
Не хто іншы, як picks out one person with emphasis, often with a note of surprise: Прыйшоў не хто іншы, як наш сусед. (The person who came was none other than our neighbor.)
People and things. Use не хто іншы for a person and не што іншае for a thing or idea. Іншае is neuter because it agrees with што: Гэта не што іншае, як звычайны страх. (This is nothing other than ordinary fear.)
Не does not negate. The 2008 rules explain that не here does not deny the meaning. The sentence is positive: the neighbor did come. Compare the truly negative Ніхто іншы не прыйшоў, толькі ён (Nobody else came, only he), which uses ніхто with не on the verb.
Comma. The rules require a comma before як: не хто іншы, як. A less common variant uses а: не хто іншы, а толькі ён.
Case. When the phrase is an object, хто іншы changes case, and the noun after як matches it: Мы сустрэлі не каго іншага, як самога дырэктара. (We met none other than the director himself.)
For a lighter way to point at something, use менавіта (precisely).
Examples (5)
- Гэта быў не хто іншы, як наш настаўнік.
It was none other than our teacher.
Word by Word: This was not who other, than our teacher.
- Прыйшоў не хто іншы, як наш сусед.
The person who came was none other than our neighbor.
Word by Word: Came not who other, than our neighbor.
- Гэта не што іншае, як звычайны страх.
This is nothing other than ordinary fear.
Word by Word: This not what other, than ordinary fear.
- «Каласы пад сярпом тваім» напісаў не хто іншы, як Уладзімір Караткевіч.
"Ears of Rye Under Your Sickle" was written by none other than Uladzimir Karatkevich.
Word by Word: "Ears under sickle your" wrote not who other, than Uladzimir Karatkevich.
- Мы сустрэлі не каго іншага, як самога дырэктара.
We met none other than the director himself.
Word by Word: We met not whom other, than himself director.
Common Mistakes
Writing ніхто instead of не хто.
Гэта быў ніхто іншы, як наш настаўнік.Гэта быў не хто іншы, як наш настаўнік.Ніхто means nobody and needs a negated verb. The emphatic phrase is written as two words, не хто, and it does not negate.
Making іншы masculine after што.
Гэта не што іншы, як страх.Гэта не што іншае, як страх.Што is neuter, so the word that agrees with it is іншае.
Leaving out the comma before як.
Прыйшоў не хто іншы як наш сусед.Прыйшоў не хто іншы, як наш сусед.The 2008 rules place a comma before як in this phrase.
How It Connects
Learn This First
None other than needs focus and identification.
Related Patterns
- ніхто / нічога + не + VerbNegative Words with Double Negation
Ніхто with a negated verb means nobody; не хто іншы is positive and means none other than.
Level 2 - самEmphatic Сам
Сам (himself, in person) often adds the same emphasis: самога дырэктара.
Level 5 - той самыThe Same with Той Самы
Той самы identifies the same person or thing without the note of surprise.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
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