Writing
不但 (bú dàn) — how to say "not only" in Chinese
不但
Not only
conjunction joining clauses
How to use it
Joins the parts of a complex sentence, often paired with another conjunction.
他不但会说汉语，还会写。
tā bú dàn huì shuō hàn yǔ hái huì xiě
He can not only speak Chinese but also write it.
Character composition
不
not
但
but
Radicals / Keys
一
One
#1 · yī · 1 stroke
人
Man
#9 · rén · 2 strokes
Synonyms
Examples
他不但会说中文，还会写汉字。
He can not only speak Chinese, but also write Chinese characters.
她不但聪明，而且非常努力。
She is not only smart but also very hardworking.
Mnemonic
[bú dàn-] Little goat Bun mumbles, "Boo, Dan!" — and points at grass and a carrot 🥕. He eats 不但 grass but also carrots: a true foodie!
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say "not only" in Chinese?
"not only" in Chinese is 不但 (bú dàn).
不但 meaning in English
不但 (bú dàn) means "Not only".
How is 不但 pronounced?
It is pronounced bú dàn (written as bu dan, budan). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "not only" in Chinese characters?
It is written 不但: 不 has 4 strokes, 但 has 7 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 不但?
不但 is on the HSK 3.0 level 3 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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