no és que...sinó que

No És Que with Subjunctive and Sinó Que with Assertion

Level 6

No és que commonly rejects an explanation with subjunctive; sinó que introduces the asserted alternative.

How It Works

No és que no vulgui, sinó que no pot separates unwillingness from inability. The first clause rejects a possible explanation without asserting it; the second supplies the explanation the speaker does assert. This commonly produces subjunctive after no és que and indicative after sinó que.

The construction is corrective, not a simple contrast between two independent facts. Negation inside the rejected explanation has its own meaning: no és que no vulgui does not simply state that the person refuses.

Keep sinó as one accented word in this correction. Si no as two words introduces if not or another conditional sequence. More complex alternatives can have their own mood licensing, so treat the indicative second clause as the ordinary asserted pattern, not an exceptionless template.

Examples (3)

  1. No és que no vulgui, sinó que no pot.

    It is not that she does not want to, but that she cannot.

  2. No és que sigui car, sinó que no el necessito.

    It is not that it is expensive, but that I do not need it.

  3. No és que no ho hagi llegit, sinó que no ho entenc.

    It is not that I have not read it, but that I do not understand it.

How It Connects

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

no és que...sinó queLevel 6No És Que with Subjunctive and Sinó Que with Assertion

Learn This First

Identify the nonasserted proposition before choosing its subjunctive form. Recognize an asserted belief even when the speaker is uncertain.

Words in This Pattern

sinó