Not… but rather… (不是…而是…)

Structure 不是 + A，而是 + B

不是…而是… (bùshì… érshì…) corrects: it denies A and puts B in its place. 这不是茶，而是咖啡 = "this isn’t tea, but coffee". It clarifies what something really is against a wrong assumption. Don’t confuse it with 不是…就是… ("either one or the other").

Examples

这zhè不bù是shì茶chá，而ér是shì咖kā啡fēi。
This isn’t tea, but coffee.
我wǒ不bù是shì不bù想xiǎng去qù，而ér是shì没méi有yǒu时shí间jiān。
It’s not that I don’t want to go, I just have no time.
他tā不bù是shì老lǎo师shī，而ér是shì学xué生shēng。
He isn’t a teacher, but a student.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.

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