bukan hanya ... melainkan juga ...
Formal Not Only but Also
Use bukan hanya ... melainkan juga ... to emphasize that two related things are both true. While common in Indonesian Malay (Bahasa Indonesia), it is considered an Indonesianism in standard Malaysian Malay, where bukan sahaja ... tetapi juga is preferred.
How It Works
The structure bukan hanya ... melainkan juga ... connects two equivalent grammatical units. Learners should be aware of its regional and functional nuances:
1. Regional Usage
This specific pairing is the standard 'not only... but also...' construction in Indonesia. In Malaysia, it is often perceived as an Indonesianism. The standard Malaysian equivalents are:
- bukan sahaja ... tetapi juga ...
- bukan sahaja ... malah ...
- bukan sahaja ... bahkan juga ...
2. The Meaning of 'Melainkan'
In standard Malaysian Malay (Bahasa Melayu), melainkan is primarily a subordinating conjunction meaning 'except' or 'unless' (e.g., Semua orang hadir melainkan Ali). Using it to mean 'but also' is a distinct feature of the Indonesian register.
3. Grammatical Symmetry
Despite the regional difference, the elements following both parts must be parallel. If you use a noun after bukan hanya, you must use a noun after melainkan juga.
- Nouns: Bukan hanya guru, melainkan juga murid. (Not only the teacher, but also the student.)
- Verbs: Bukan hanya membaca, melainkan juga memahami. (Not only reading, but also understanding.)
4. The Role of 'Bukan'
In this pattern, bukan functions as a contrastive negator. This allows it to precede verbs and adjectives because it is setting up an addition rather than simply negating a noun phrase.
Examples (4)
- Program ini bukan hanya bertujuan untuk memberi bantuan kewangan, melainkan juga untuk meningkatkan kemahiran insaniah para peserta.
This program aims not only to provide financial assistance but also to enhance the soft skills of the participants.
Word by Word: Program this not only aim for give help finance, but also for increase skill human-side plural participant.
This example shows the pattern connecting two purpose clauses starting with 'untuk'. It is a highly formal variant of the standard 'bukan sahaja' structure.
- Pencemaran alam sekitar bukan hanya menjejaskan kesihatan manusia, melainkan juga mengancam ekosistem global.
Environmental pollution not only affects human health but also threatens the global ecosystem.
Word by Word: Pollution nature surrounding not only affect health human, but also threaten ecosystem global.
Here, the pattern connects two active verbs (menjejaskan and mengancam) to show cumulative effects in a formal context.
- Beliau bukan hanya seorang pemimpin yang berwibawa, melainkan juga seorang bapa yang penyayang.
He is not only an authoritative leader but also a loving father.
Word by Word: He (respectful) not only one-person leader who authoritative, but also one-person father who loving.
This demonstrates the pattern connecting two noun phrases describing a person, using the formal 'beliau'.
- Krisis itu bukan hanya mencabar ekonomi negara, melainkan juga menguji ketabahan rakyat.
That crisis not only challenged the national economy but also tested the resilience of the people.
Word by Word: Crisis that not only challenge economy country, but also test resilience people.
A formal sentence showing how a single subject performs two significant actions, using 'bukan' for contrastive negation.
Common Mistakes
Omitting the word 'juga' in the second part.
Dia bukan hanya bijak melainkan rajin.Dia bukan hanya bijak, melainkan juga rajin.Without 'juga' (also), the sentence can be misinterpreted as a correction ('He is not wise, but rather hardworking') instead of an addition.
Using 'tidak hanya' where 'bukan hanya' is the usual partner of 'melainkan juga'.
Tidak hanya dia, melainkan juga adiknya.Bukan hanya dia, melainkan juga adiknya.'Tidak hanya' is also used, most often with 'tetapi juga'. With 'melainkan juga', the usual formal pairing is 'bukan hanya'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand this formal construction, learners must first be familiar with the use of 'bukan' for categorical negation and 'hanya' for limitation. It also builds upon the basic contrastive structure 'bukan... tetapi...', replacing 'tetapi' with the more formal 'melainkan' and adding 'juga' to complete the 'not only... but also' logic.
Related Patterns
- tidak hanya ... tetapi juga ...Not Only but Also
This is a standard equivalent of the 'not only... but also...' structure.
Level 3 - malahUnexpected Addition or Reversal
In Malaysian Malay, 'malah' is often used in the second part of the 'not only' construction (bukan sahaja ... malah).
Level 4 - bahkanEven with Bahkan
The word 'bahkan' is used in the Malaysian variant 'bukan sahaja ... bahkan juga' to add emphasis.
Level 4 - bukanNegating Nouns with Bukan
Understanding how 'bukan' functions as a contrastive negator explains why it can precede verbs and adjectives in this specific correlative structure.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice bukan hanya ... melainkan juga ... in Bubblegum
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