nevis ... bet

Not This but That

Level 4

Nevis means not in the sense of rather than. It sets aside one option and keeps another: Es gribu tēju, nevis kafiju (I want tea, not coffee).

How It Works

1. X, nevis Y. Say what is right, then add what is not: Es gribu tēju, nevis kafiju. (I want tea, not coffee.) Mēs tiekamies rīt, nevis šodien. (We are meeting tomorrow, not today.)

2. Nevis Y, bet X. Start with what is not true, then correct it with bet: Viņš dzīvo nevis Rīgā, bet Jūrmalā. (He lives not in Riga but in Jūrmala.) The two places match: both are in the locative.

3. Any kind of part. Nevis can reject a noun, a word like mana, or even a verb:

  • Tā ir nevis mana, bet brāļa mašīna. (It is not my car but my brother's.)
  • Viņš nevis strādā, bet guļ. (He is not working but sleeping.)

With a verb, a plain ne- on the verb plus bet is also common: Viņš nestrādā, bet guļ.

4. Commas. A comma goes before nevis when it comes second (tēju, nevis kafiju). In nevis ..., bet the comma goes only before bet.

Nevis or ne tikai? Nevis replaces the first option. Ne tikai ..., bet arī keeps it and adds another one.

Examples (5)

  1. Es gribu tēju, nevis kafiju.

    I want tea, not coffee.

  2. Viņš dzīvo nevis Rīgā, bet Jūrmalā.

    He lives not in Riga but in Jūrmala.

    Both places are in the locative, because they have the same job in the sentence.

  3. Mēs tiekamies rīt, nevis šodien.

    We are meeting tomorrow, not today.

  4. Tā ir nevis mana, bet brāļa mašīna.

    It is not my car but my brother's.

    Word by Word: That is not my, but brother's car.

  5. Viņš nevis strādā, bet guļ.

    He is not working but sleeping.

    Nevis can stand before a verb too.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the comma before nevis.

    Es gribu tēju nevis kafiju.
    Es gribu tēju, nevis kafiju.

    Nevis joins a contrasting part, and a comma always goes before it.

  • Finishing nevis ... with un instead of bet.

    Viņš dzīvo nevis Rīgā, un Jūrmalā.
    Viņš dzīvo nevis Rīgā, bet Jūrmalā.

    After nevis, the correct option is introduced with bet, which marks the contrast. Un only adds.

  • Putting nevis before a different part than the one you correct.

    Nevis viņš dzīvo Rīgā, bet Jūrmalā.
    Viņš dzīvo nevis Rīgā, bet Jūrmalā.

    Nevis goes right before the part it rejects. The contrast is between Rīgā and Jūrmalā, so nevis belongs before Rīgā.

How It Connects

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

nevis ... betLevel 4Not This but That

Learn This First

Nevis ... bet corrects a statement.

Words in This Pattern