не че..., но

Not That ..., But

Level 5Sounds Like ne če..., no

Не че не искам, но нямам време. (It's not that I don't want to, but I have no time.)

How It Works

1. The pattern. Не че + clause, then a comma and но + clause:

  • Не че ресторантът е лош, но е много скъп. (It's not that the restaurant is bad, but it is very expensive.)

It is a polite way to refuse or complain without sounding harsh.

2. With а: a correction. Не ..., а replaces one idea with another. Не че ..., а does the same: Не че не искам, а не мога (It's not that I don't want to; I can't).

3. On its own. Не че can also stand without a second part, like English not that...: Нищо не каза. Не че очаквах друго. (He said nothing. Not that I expected anything else.) It can also open a light question: Не че ме интересува, но с кого говореше? (Not that it's any of my business, but who were you talking to?)

4. Punctuation. Although a comma usually goes before че (see commas before subordinate clauses), there is no comma between не and че here. A comma does go before но or а.

Compare въпреки че, which admits a fact rather than setting a reason aside.

Examples (6)

  1. Не че не искам, но нямам време.

    It's not that I don't want to, but I have no time.

  2. Не че ресторантът е лош, но е много скъп.

    It's not that the restaurant is bad, but it is very expensive.

  3. Не че имам нещо против, но нека попитаме и другите.

    Not that I mind, but let's ask the others too.

  4. Не че ме интересува, но с кого говореше?

    Not that it's any of my business, but who were you talking to?

  5. Не че не искам, а просто не мога.

    It's not that I don't want to; I just can't.

    With а, the second part replaces the first.

  6. Нищо не каза. Не че очаквах друго.

    He said nothing. Not that I expected anything else.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting a comma between не and че.

    Не, че не искам, но нямам време.
    Не че не искам, но нямам време.

    Не че is one unit, so no comma goes between the two words. With a comma, не reads as a separate "No."

  • Leaving out the comma before но.

    Не че ресторантът е лош но е много скъп.
    Не че ресторантът е лош, но е много скъп.

    A comma always goes before но when it joins two clauses.

How It Connects

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

не че..., ноLevel 5Not That ..., But

Learn This First

Not that ..., but combines че and но.

Words in This Pattern