If you've reached HSK 3 and want to praise someone by stacking two qualities in one sentence, the pattern 不但...而且 (búdàn...érqiě) — Not Only...But Also — is what you need. After this lesson, you can highlight multiple strengths in a single breath, like telling a friend a restaurant is not only delicious but also cheap.
The structure is straightforward: 不但 + A，而且 + B. When both halves share the same subject, place the subject before 不但. The key example:
他不但会说中文，而且说得很好 (tā búdàn huì shuō zhōngwén, érqiě shuō de hěn hǎo) — He not only speaks Chinese, but speaks it really well.
Here, 他 (tā) comes first because both "speaking Chinese" and "speaking it well" describe the same person.
This is a live voice lesson — you talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin in real time, no typing. In about 10 minutes you'll use this pattern in natural conversation, building sentences that emphasize two strengths at once. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation as you speak and adapts to your level, so each attempt gets smoother. The lesson, called "Adding Emphasis," targets this one grammar point so you finish confident using it.
Ready for more? Browse the HSK 3 lessons hub, try another HSK 3 live lesson on resultative complements with 到 (dào), or move on to another HSK 3 live lesson on interrogative pronouns as indefinites. You can also reinforce your writing with the free Chinese worksheet generator.
It means "Not Only...But Also." You place 不但 before the first quality and 而且 before the second, letting you emphasize two strengths in one sentence — for example, saying someone not only speaks Chinese but speaks it really well.
When both halves share the same subject, put the subject before 不但, not between 不但 and 而且. In the example 他不但会说中文，而且说得很好, 他 (tā) comes first because both actions describe the same person.
The lesson takes roughly 10 minutes and focuses entirely on this one grammar pattern. You talk out loud with Mei Lin, who corrects your grammar and pronunciation in real time and adapts to your level as you practice building sentences with the pattern.
Yes — you can try the first lesson free, and no credit card is required to start talking with Mei Lin. Just open the lesson and begin speaking in real time.