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Mythic Mandarin

Not only clever, but also funny: 不但…而且

HSK 4 Unit 2: Not only… but also · Lesson 1 of 5 · About 20 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can describe someone's personality in detail with 不但…而且, and talk about what makes a good colleague.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 讨厌 mean?

    1. compared with
    2. to dislike, annoying
    3. originally, at first
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, to dislike, annoying.

    讨厌 (tǎoyàn) means to dislike, annoying.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to develop, development”?

    1. 以为
    2. 年龄
    3. 发展
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 发展.

    “to develop, development” is 发展 (fāzhǎn).

New words

  • 不但búdànnot only
  • 而且érqiěbut also, moreover
  • 聪明cōngmingclever, intelligent
  • 幽默yōumòhumorous
  • 性格xìnggépersonality, character
  • 优秀yōuxiùexcellent, outstanding
  • 善良shànliángkind-hearted

不但…而且…

不但 (búdàn) … 而且 (érqiě) … is not only … but also …. The second part says something more, or stronger.

  • 她不但聪明，而且很幽默。

    Tā búdàn cōngming, érqiě hěn yōumò.

    She's not only clever but also very funny.

  • 这个饭店的菜不但好吃，而且很便宜。

    Zhège fàndiàn de cài búdàn hǎochī, érqiě hěn piányi.

    The food at this restaurant is not only tasty but also cheap.

If both parts have the same subject, put 不但 after it. If the subjects are different, put 不但 first.

  • 不但我喜欢她，而且大家都喜欢她。

    Búdàn wǒ xǐhuan tā, érqiě dàjiā dōu xǐhuan tā.

    Not only do I like her, everyone likes her.

  • Not: 不但他很聪明，而且很努力。

    But: 他不但很聪明，而且很努力。 Tā búdàn hěn cōngming, érqiě hěn nǔlì.

    Same subject: 不但 after the subject.

Personality

性格 (xìnggé) is personality. 优秀 (yōuxiù) is excellent; 善良 (shànliáng) is kind-hearted; 幽默 (yōumò) is humorous.

  • 他的性格很好。

    Tā de xìnggé hěn hǎo.

    He has a great personality.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

The new colleague

Manager Zhao asks Gao Fei about a new colleague.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What does Gao Fei say about her work?

    1. She is often late, but friendly.
    2. She needs a lot of help at first.
    3. She is conscientious and learns fast.
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, She is conscientious and learns fast..

    她不但工作很认真，而且很聪明，学得很快.

  2. Listening

    Why do her colleagues like her?

    1. She is funny and kind.
    2. She is rich and generous.
    3. She is quiet and never complains.
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, She is funny and kind..

    她很幽默…她很善良.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 赵经理

    高飞Gāo Fēi，你nǐ觉得juéde新xīn来lái的de小王Xiǎo Wáng怎么样zěnmeyàng？

    Gao Fei, what do you think of the new colleague, Xiao Wang?

  2. 高飞

    她Tā不但búdàn工作gōngzuò很hěn认真rènzhēn，而且érqiě很hěn聪明cōngming，学xué得de很hěn快kuài。

    She not only works conscientiously but is also clever. She learns fast.

  3. 赵经理

    她Tā的de性格xìnggé呢ne？

    And her personality?

  4. 高飞

    她Tā很hěn幽默yōumò，同事们tóngshìmen都dōu喜欢xǐhuan她tā。而且Érqiě她tā很hěn善良shànliáng，常常chángcháng帮助bāngzhù别人biéren。

    She's funny, and all the colleagues like her. And she's kind, she often helps others.

  5. 赵经理

    看起来Kànqǐlai，她tā是shì一yí个gè很hěn优秀yōuxiù的de员工yuángōng。

    It looks like she's an excellent employee.

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 她不但工作很认真，而且很聪明，学得很快。

    Tā búdàn gōngzuò hěn rènzhēn, érqiě hěn cōngming, xué de hěn kuài.

    She not only works conscientiously but is also clever. She learns fast.

  • 她很幽默，同事们都喜欢她。而且她很善良，常常帮助别人。

    Tā hěn yōumò, tóngshìmen dōu xǐhuan tā. Érqiě tā hěn shànliáng, chángcháng bāngzhù biéren.

    She's funny, and all the colleagues like her. And she's kind, she often helps others.

  • 她的性格呢？

    Tā de xìnggé ne?

    And her personality?

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 不但 mean?

    1. not only
    2. if
    3. alarm clock
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, not only.

    不但 (búdàn) means not only.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “but also, moreover”?

    1. 聪明
    2. 幽默
    3. 而且
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 而且.

    “but also, moreover” is 而且 (érqiě).

  3. Word order

    Put the words in order: And her personality?

    • 呢
    • 性格
    • 她
    • 的
    Show the answer

    她的性格呢 Tā de xìnggé ne?

    And her personality?

    她的性格呢？ The sentence comes from this lesson's text.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    幽默 yōumò

    1. street
    2. humorous
    3. than, compared with
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, humorous.

    You heard 幽默 (yōumò): humorous.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “personality, character” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 性格

    “personality, character” is 性格 (xìnggé).

  6. Grammar

    Which sentence is right?

    1. 不但他很聪明，而且很努力。
    2. 他很聪明不但，而且很努力。
    3. 他不但很聪明，而且很努力。
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 他不但很聪明，而且很努力。.

    他不但很聪明，而且很努力。: 他不但很聪明，而且很努力: same subject, 不但 after it.

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: The flat is not only big, but also cheap.

    这个房子不但很大，＿＿很便宜。

    1. 但是
    2. 所以
    3. 而且
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 而且.

    不但…而且: not only … but also.

  8. In context

    Your friend always makes everyone laugh. How do you describe him?

    1. 他很善良。
    2. 他很优秀。
    3. 他很幽默。
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 他很幽默。.

    他很幽默。: 幽默: humorous.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for personality

    Show the answer

    Answer: 性格

    性格: personality.

Describe a friend

Describe two people you know well out loud, with 不但…而且 and the new personality words.

  1. Their personality.
  2. Their work or studies.
  3. Why people like them.

Sentence frames

  • ＿＿不但＿＿，而且＿＿。

    ＿＿ búdàn ＿＿, érqiě ＿＿.

    ... is not only ..., but also ...

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I use 不但…而且 to add a stronger point.
  • I can describe personality: 聪明, 幽默, 善良, 优秀.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: Two sisters, two characters: 而