だけでなく

Not Only

Level 3Sounds Like dakedenaku

だけでなく is the standard way to say 'not only... but also.' It connects nouns, verbs, and adjectives to show that something extra is also true.

How It Works

だけでなく is a versatile intermediate pattern used in both speech and writing. It functions similarly to the English 'not only,' adding a second point (B) to an initial point (A).

How to connect:

  • Nouns: Attach directly (e.g., 日本語（にほんご）だけでなく). In formal writing, である can be used before the pattern (e.g., 教師（きょうし）であるだけでなく).
  • Verbs: Use the plain form (e.g., 食べる（たべる）だけでなく).
  • い-Adjectives: Use the plain form (e.g., 美味しい（おいしい）だけでなく).
  • な-Adjectives: Use the dictionary form + な (e.g., 静かな（しずかな）だけでなく). In formal contexts, である can be used instead of な.

Nuance and Register:
While だけでなく is neutral and standard, you may hear だけじゃなく（て） in casual conversation. In very formal writing, you might see だけではなく. Unlike some other additive patterns, this one is purely informative and doesn't necessarily imply that the second part is surprising or extreme.

Examples (4)

  1. 彼は日本語だけでなく、中国語も話せます。

    He can speak not only Japanese but also Chinese.

    Word by Word: He [topic] Japanese not only, Chinese also can speak.

    Here, だけでなく directly follows the noun 'Japanese' to show that his ability extends to another language.

  2. このアパートは、駅から近いだけでなく、家賃も安いです。

    This apartment is not only close to the station, but the rent is also cheap.

    Word by Word: This apartment [topic], station from close not only, rent also cheap is.

    This shows the pattern used with an い-adjective (近い). It lists two positive attributes of the apartment.

  3. この映画は子供だけでなく、大人にも人気があります。

    This movie is popular not only with children but also with adults.

    Word by Word: This movie [topic] children not only, adults to also popularity exists.

    The pattern connects two groups of people (nouns) to show the wide appeal of the movie.

  4. 彼女は歌うだけでなく、自分で曲も作ります。

    She not only sings, but she also writes her own songs.

    Word by Word: She [topic] sing not only, self by songs also makes.

    This example uses the plain form of a verb (歌う) before だけでなく to connect two different actions.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting 'na' with na-adjectives.

    この町は静かだけでなく、安全です。
    この町は静かなだけでなく、安全です。

    When using a な-adjective with だけでなく, you must keep the な (or use である in formal writing) to properly modify the 'dake' part.

  • Thinking the particle 'mo' is always mandatory.

    彼は歌うだけでなく、踊る。
    彼は歌うだけでなく、踊りもする。 (or 彼は歌うだけでなく、さらに踊る。)

    While the second clause often uses も, it isn't strictly required if other additive words like 'furthermore' (さらに) are used. However, simply ending the sentence without any additive marker can sound abrupt or incomplete.

How It Connects

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

だけでなくLevel 3Not Only

Learn This First

だけでなく (not only) is a compound pattern that requires knowledge of the limiting particle 'だけ' and the negative continuative form 'なく'. It is used to indicate that a statement applies not just to the first item mentioned, but to others as well, often paired with the particle 'も' in the following clause.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

丈