ekki bara ... heldur líka
Not Only ... but Also
Hún talar ekki bara íslensku heldur líka pólsku. (She speaks not only Icelandic but also Polish.)
How It Works
The pattern. ekki bara ... heldur líka joins two words or phrases of the same kind:
- Hún talar ekki bara íslensku heldur líka pólsku.
- Þetta er ekki bara ódýrt heldur líka gott. (This is not only cheap but also good.)
- Hann vinnur ekki bara á daginn heldur líka á kvöldin. (He works not only during the day but also in the evenings.)
Why heldur? After a negative, Icelandic uses heldur for the part that replaces or adds to what was denied. en is the but of contrast, with no negative before it: Ég er þreytt en glöð. (I am tired but happy.)
The same case on both sides. Both parts take the case the sentence needs: Ég hjálpaði ekki bara honum heldur líka systur hans. (I helped not only him but also his sister.) hjálpa takes the dative, so both honum and systur are dative.
Other words. bara can be replaced by aðeins or einungis, and líka by einnig. ekki aðeins ... heldur einnig is more formal and common in writing: Verkefnið er ekki aðeins dýrt heldur einnig flókið. (The project is not only expensive but also complicated.) See formal and everyday registers.
Examples (5)
- Hún talar ekki bara íslensku heldur líka pólsku.
She speaks not only Icelandic but also Polish.
Word by Word: She speaks not just Icelandic but also Polish.
- Þetta er ekki bara ódýrt heldur líka gott.
This is not only cheap but also good.
Word by Word: This is not just cheap but also good.
- Hann vinnur ekki bara á daginn heldur líka á kvöldin.
He works not only during the day but also in the evenings.
Word by Word: He works not just on the day but also on the evenings.
- Ég hjálpaði ekki bara honum heldur líka systur hans.
I helped not only him but also his sister.
Word by Word: I helped not just him (dative) but also sister (dative) his.
hjálpa takes the dative, so both honum and systur are dative.
- Verkefnið er ekki aðeins dýrt heldur einnig flókið.
The project is not only expensive but also complicated.
Word by Word: The project is not only expensive but also complicated.
ekki aðeins ... heldur einnig is the more formal version.
Common Mistakes
Using en for but.
Hún talar ekki bara íslensku en líka pólsku.Hún talar ekki bara íslensku heldur líka pólsku.After ekki bara, the second part starts with heldur. en is used for a contrast without a negative before it.
Changing the case in the second part.
Ég hjálpaði ekki bara honum heldur líka systir hans.Ég hjálpaði ekki bara honum heldur líka systur hans.hjálpa takes the dative for both people. The dative of systir is systur.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Not only builds on ekki ... heldur.
Related Patterns
- líka / heldurToo and Either (Líka, Heldur)
líka means also; after a negative, heldur means either.
Level 2 - enBut (En)
en is the but of contrast, used without a negative before it.
Level 1 - bara / alveg / eiginlega / skoSoftening and Emphasis Words
bara on its own means just or only.
Level 4 - auk þess / þar af leiðandiMoreover and Consequently
auk þess (besides) is another way to add a point.
Level 5 - Formal and Everyday Registers
ekki aðeins ... heldur einnig is the formal version.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
Practice ekki bara ... heldur líka in Bubblegum
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