ekki ... heldur

Not This but That (Ekki ... Heldur)

Level 3

ekki ... heldur means not ... but (rather): Hún er ekki kennari heldur læknir (She isn't a teacher but a doctor).

How It Works

Correcting something. The first part is denied, and heldur gives the replacement:

  • Hún er ekki kennari heldur læknir. (She isn't a teacher but a doctor.)
  • Ég fór ekki í bíó heldur heim. (I didn't go to the cinema; I went home.)
  • Hann kemur ekki í dag heldur á morgun. (He isn't coming today but tomorrow.)

Other negatives work too, such as aldrei or enginn.

heldur or en?

  • heldur replaces: Þetta er ekki kaffi heldur te. (This isn't coffee, it's tea.)
  • en adds: Þetta er ekki gott kaffi, en það er heitt. (This isn't good coffee, but it's hot.)

Not only ... but also. ekki bara ... heldur líka adds a second point: Hún talar ekki bara íslensku heldur líka pólsku.

Other uses of heldur. ekki heldur means not either: Ég ekki heldur (Me neither). See líka/heldur. heldur can also mean rather: Ég vil heldur te (I'd rather have tea).

Stress. When a pronoun is contrasted like this, it is stressed and can stay after ekki: Ég sá ekki hann heldur hana (I didn't see him, but her). See object shift.

Examples (6)

  1. Hún er ekki kennari heldur læknir.

    She isn't a teacher but a doctor.

    Word by Word: She is not teacher but-rather doctor.

  2. Ég fór ekki í bíó heldur heim.

    I didn't go to the cinema; I went home.

    Word by Word: I went not in cinema but-rather home.

  3. Hann kemur ekki í dag heldur á morgun.

    He isn't coming today but tomorrow.

    Word by Word: He comes not in day but-rather on morning.

  4. Þetta er ekki kaffi heldur te.

    This isn't coffee, it's tea.

    Word by Word: This is not coffee but-rather tea.

  5. Við ætlum ekki að keyra heldur taka rútuna.

    We're not going to drive; we're taking the coach.

    Word by Word: We intend not to drive but-rather take the coach.

  6. Ég sá ekki hann heldur hana.

    I didn't see him, but her.

    Word by Word: I saw not him but-rather her.

    The pronouns are stressed for contrast, so hann stays after ekki.

Common Mistakes

  • Using en to correct a negative.

    Hún er ekki kennari en læknir.
    Hún er ekki kennari heldur læknir.

    When the second part replaces what was denied, use heldur. en adds a contrast and does not replace anything.

How It Connects

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

ekki ... heldurLevel 3Not This but That (Ekki ... Heldur)

Learn This First

ekki ... heldur builds on heldur.

Words in This Pattern

ekkihelduren