ne vien ... bet arī

Not Only in Literary Style

Level 6

Ne vien ..., bet arī means not only ..., but also. It is the bookish twin of ne tikai ..., bet arī: Viņš bija ne vien skaists, bet arī gudrs. (He was not only handsome but also clever.)

How It Works

1. Where you meet it. Ne vien ..., bet arī appears in literature, speeches, formal articles and older texts. In everyday speech, ne tikai ..., bet arī is more common. The meaning is the same: both things are true.

2. Why vien? Vien can mean only, so ne vien is simply not only.

3. Matching parts. Put ne vien right before the first part, and give the second part the same form:

  • Adjectives: ne vien skaists, bet arī gudrs
  • Nouns in the same case: Šī grāmata interesēs ne vien skolēnus, bet arī viņu vecākus. Both nouns are accusative objects of interesēs.
  • Places: Ne vien pilsētā, bet arī laukos ...
  • Verbs: Viņa ne vien dziedāja, bet arī pati rakstīja dziesmas.

4. The comma. The pair itself needs one comma, before bet arī. Do not add a comma before ne vien.

5. Older texts. You may also meet ne tikvien ..., bet arī with the same meaning.

Not nevis. Nevis ..., bet rejects the first part. Ne vien keeps it and adds another.

Examples (5)

  1. Viņš bija ne vien skaists, bet arī gudrs.

    He was not only handsome but also clever.

    Word by Word: He was not only handsome, but also clever.

  2. Šī grāmata interesēs ne vien skolēnus, bet arī viņu vecākus.

    This book will interest not only pupils but also their parents.

  3. Ne vien pilsētā, bet arī laukos cilvēki gatavojās svētkiem.

    Not only in the city but also in the countryside, people were getting ready for the holiday.

  4. Valoda ir ne vien saziņas līdzeklis, bet arī tautas atmiņa.

    Language is not only a means of communication but also the memory of a people.

  5. Viņa ne vien dziedāja, bet arī pati rakstīja dziesmas.

    She not only sang but also wrote songs herself.

Common Mistakes

  • Using nevis when you want to add, not replace.

    Viņa runā nevis latviski, bet arī angliski.
    Viņa runā ne vien latviski, bet arī angliski.

    Nevis says the first part is wrong. To keep the first part and add a second, use ne vien (or ne tikai).

  • Giving the second part a different case.

    Šī grāmata interesēs ne vien skolēnus, bet arī viņu vecāki.
    Šī grāmata interesēs ne vien skolēnus, bet arī viņu vecākus.

    Both parts are objects of the same verb, so both are accusative: skolēnus, vecākus.

  • Putting a comma before ne vien.

    Viņš bija, ne vien skaists, bet arī gudrs.
    Viņš bija ne vien skaists, bet arī gudrs.

    With this pair, the only comma goes before bet arī.

How It Connects

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

ne vien ... bet arīLevel 6Not Only in Literary Style

Learn This First

Ne vien ... bet arī is literary.

Words in This Pattern

ne