不是 (bù shì) — not enough, also need

不是 (bú shì) + Action + 就可以了 (jiù kěyǐ le) / 就行了 (jiù xíng le),还 (hái) / 还是 (háishi) + Further requirement

HSK 53.0

Pattern diagram

不是Action就可以了就行了,还还是Action

Rule structure

不是 (bú shì) rejects the idea that the first action is sufficient: “it’s not enough to just do this.” The first action may be followed by 就可以了 (jiù kěyǐ le), 就行了 (jiù háng le) (jiù xíng le), or similar endings. The second part with 还 (hái) adds a necessary action. 还是 (háishi) may express what should still be done: 还是要商量一下 (háishi yào shāngliang yíxià), “it still needs a brief discussion.”

Examples

不是看完这本书就可以了,还要写一篇作文。

Bú shì kànwán zhè běn shū jiù kěyǐ le, hái yào xiě yì piān zuòwén.

It's not enough to finish reading this book — you also need to write an essay.

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Words from this rule

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “not enough, also need” in Chinese with 不是?

Use the structure: 不是 (bú shì) + Action + 就可以了 (jiù kěyǐ le) / 就行了 (jiù xíng le),还 (hái) / 还是 (háishi) + Further requirement. For example: 不是看完这本书就可以了,还要写一篇作文。 — “It's not enough to finish reading this book — you also need to write an essay”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

不是看完这本书就可以了,还要写一篇作文。 — “It's not enough to finish reading this book — you also need to write an essay”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 3.0 Level 5.

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More HSK 3.0 Level 5 grammar rules