نه‌تنها … بلکه

Not Only … but Also

Level 5

The two things sit in the same place in the sentence, and the verb closes it. Two clauses each keep their own verb.

How It Works

Part	Example
نه‌تنها + the first thing	نه‌تنها در کابل
بلکه + the second thing	بلکه در هرات
هم after the second thing	هم

Put both things in the same position: فرید نه‌تنها در کابل بلکه در هرات هم دوستان زیاد دارد. (Farid has many friends not only in Kabul but also in Herat.)

The parts can be nouns, places, adjectives or whole clauses: او نه‌تنها معلم خوبی است بلکه دوست مهربانی هم است.

The verb comes at the end and agrees with the subject. With a plural or polite subject, use the plural form of the verb.

Two whole clauses can take the pair too. Each part keeps its own verb: نه‌تنها باران بارید بلکه باد هم وزید. (Not only did it rain, but the wind blew too.)

The second part usually begins with بلکه. اما and ولی mean "but" and start a contrast, so they do not fit here.

Write نه‌تنها as one word with a half-space. The هم after the second part is common and adds weight.

Examples (5)

فرید نه‌تنها در کابل بلکه در هرات هم دوستان زیاد دارد.
Farid has many friends not only in Kabul but also in Herat.
Both places sit before the verb, one after نه‌تنها and one after بلکه.
این باغ نه‌تنها برای شاگردان بلکه برای معلمان هم جای آرامی است.
This garden is a quiet place not only for students but also for teachers.
نه‌تنها and بلکه each take برای and a group of people.
مادرم نه‌تنها قابلی پلو را بلکه منتو را هم خوب می‌پزد.
My mother cooks not only Kabuli palaw but also mantu well.
Each food keeps its را.
برف نه‌تنها در کابل بلکه در بامیان هم باریده است.
It has snowed not only in Kabul but also in Bamiyan.
One perfect verb, باریده است, covers both places.
او نه‌تنها معلم خوبی است بلکه دوست مهربانی هم است.
She is not only a good teacher but also a kind friend.
The two parts are nouns with the indefinite ـی, and است closes the sentence.

Common Mistakes

Using اما for the second part.
فرید نه‌تنها در کابل اما در هرات هم دوستان زیاد دارد.
فرید نه‌تنها در کابل بلکه در هرات هم دوستان زیاد دارد.
اما means "but" and starts a contrast. The second part of this pair takes بلکه, not اما.

How It Connects

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

نه‌تنها … بلکهLevel 5Not Only … but Also

Learn This First

The pattern has two parts like هم … هم.

هم … هم، نه … نه، یا … یاBoth, Neither and Either
Know هم … هم, because نه‌تنها … بلکه also has two parts.
Level 3

Words in This Pattern

بلکههم

Practice نه‌تنها … بلکه in Bubblegum

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