بلکہ

Correcting or Strengthening a Statement

Level 3

Use the second phrase to revise what the first phrase suggested.

How It Works

The corrected parts should be comparable: one name, quality or role replaces another. The rest of the sentence may be shared.

With a not-only construction, بلکہ adds another fact instead of denying the first. Its role depends on the full sentence.

لیکن simply marks contrast. بلکہ more specifically directs the reader to a correction or an added claim that goes further.

یہ چابی نہیں بلکہ قلم ہے۔
This is a pen, not a key.
The second noun corrects the identification.
ہم لاہور نہیں بلکہ کراچی جا رہے ہیں۔
We are going to Karachi, not Lahore.
The second place corrects the destination.
یہ راستہ مشکل نہیں بلکہ آسان ہے۔
This route is easy, not difficult.
The second adjective replaces the first assessment.
وہ نہ صرف پڑھتی ہے بلکہ لکھتی بھی ہے۔
She not only reads but also writes.
Both activities hold; بلکہ introduces the additional claim.

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

بلکہLevel 3Correcting or Strengthening a Statement

Recognize contrast before using a stronger correction or replacement.

بلکہ

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