だけでなく — Not Only That
Adds a second, often larger element beyond the first — 'not only A but also B'. It is frequently paired with も in the second clause to reinforce the 'also' meaning, and works with nouns, verbs, and adjectives alike.
Structure
[Plain form] / [Noun] + だけでなく (、〜も)
Examples
彼女は英語だけでなく、中国語も話せる。
Kanojo wa eigo dake de naku, chuugokugo mo hanaseru.
She can speak not only English but also Chinese.
Noun 英語 + だけでなく plus 中国語も adds a second language beyond the first.
この店は安いだけでなく、味もいい。
Kono mise wa yasui dake de naku, aji mo ii.
This restaurant is not only cheap but also tastes good.
い-adj 安い + だけでなく, then 味もいい adds a second merit.
運動は体だけでなく、心にもいい。
Undou wa karada dake de naku, kokoro ni mo ii.
Exercise is good not only for the body but also for the mind.
Noun 体 + だけでなく with 心にも extends the benefit to a second domain.
• Pair with も (or 〜も〜) in the second clause for natural balance. • A more formal variant is 〜のみならず. • Register: neutral to slightly formal; extremely common.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones だけでなく is tested against.
vs ばかりでなく
ばかりでなく is nearly identical but slightly more formal/emphatic; だけでなく is the everyday standard.
vs だけ
Plain だけ means 'only/just' (limiting), whereas だけでなく negates that limit to add a further item.
More connectives
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