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だけでなく details

Examples

not only N — extends a set to include more than the noun named, usually paired with も

このみせやすいだけでなくあじもいいんだよ。

kono mise, yasui dake de naku aji mo ii n da yo.

This place isn't only cheap — the food's good too. casual

かれ英語えいごだけでなくフランスはなせます。

kare wa eigo dake de naku furansugo mo hanasemasu.

He can speak not only English but French as well. neutral

今回こんかいのセミナーは学生がくせいだけでなく社会人しゃかいじんかたにもご参加さんかいただけます。

konkai no seminaa wa gakusei dake de naku shakaijin no kata ni mo go sanka itadakemasu.

This seminar is open to working professionals as well, not just students. formal

not only [predicate] — extends a state or action described by a whole clause

この漫画まんが面白おもしろいだけでなく、勉強べんきょうにもなるんだ。

kono manga, omoshiroi dake de naku, benkyou ni mo naru n da.

This manga isn't only entertaining — it's actually educational too. casual

この機械きかい使つかいやすいだけでなく、値段ねだん手頃てごろです。

kono kikai wa tsukaiyasui dake de naku, nedan mo tegoro desu.

This machine isn't only easy to use — it's reasonably priced too. neutral

本製品ほんせいひん高性能こうせいのうなだけでなく、しょうエネルギーでもございます。

honseihin wa kouseinou na dake de naku, shouenerugii de mo gozaimasu.

This product is not only high-performance, but energy-efficient as well. formal

Formation

Notes

Almost always resolves with も/でも on the second half (…だけでなく…も);
a bare だけでなく with nothing added back sounds unfinished, much like
によると without a hearsay tail.

Related patterns

Similar

  • Near-identical "not only X, Y too" frames, but だけでなく is the register-neutral default in both speech and writing while ばかりでなく skews written/formal and sounds stiff dropped into casual chat.

Lookalikes

  • だけでなく contains だけ but points the opposite way — bare だけ closes a set down to exactly N (exclusive), while だけでなく opens it back up to at least one more thing (additive); 学生だけ excludes everyone else, 学生だけでなく社会人も招く includes more people.

Same meaning

only; nothing but

PatternAttaches to
ばかり
ばかりでなく
だけ
さえ
さえ〜ば
しか〜ない
てばかりいる