The pattern 不是...就是 (búshì...jiùshì) often carries a hint of mild complaint — as if you're rolling your eyes at someone's predictable routine. It frames exactly two possibilities: "if it's not A, then it's B." This HSK 4 grammar point lets you describe someone's habits or narrow a situation down to only two options, like saying "He's either at the library or in the classroom."
Structure: 不是 + A，就是 + B. The key sentence shows it clearly:
他每天不是喝咖啡，就是喝茶。 (tā měi tiān bú shì hē kā fēi, jiù shì hē chá) — "Every day he either drinks coffee or tea."
Another example: 他不是在图书馆，就是在教室 (tā búshì zài túshūguǎn, jiùshì zài jiàoshì) — "He's either in the library or in the classroom." Both sentences pin the situation to exactly two choices, nothing more.
This is a live voice conversation — you talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin in real time, not by typing. She corrects your grammar and pronunciation in the flow of conversation and adapts to your level. The session focuses solely on this one pattern and takes roughly 10 minutes. You'll practice building sentences that narrow things down to two possibilities, and Mei Lin will help you sound natural doing it. Your first conversation is free to try.
Ready for more? Browse the HSK 4 lessons hub page for more grammar practice, or try Lesson 8 on 不仅...而且 (bùjǐn...érqiě) or Telling What Happened Next with 于是 (yúshì). You can also reinforce your writing with the free printable Chinese worksheet generator.
It means "if not A, then B" — an either/or construction that narrows a situation to exactly two possibilities. For example, 他每天不是喝咖啡，就是喝茶 means "Every day he either drinks coffee or tea." It often carries a tone of mild complaint about predictable habits.
Use it when you want to narrow things down to exactly two options, often with a hint that the behavior is predictable or slightly annoying. The Narrowing It Down structure emphasizes that there are only two possibilities — not three, not many. It works well for describing routines or guessing someone's location.
You talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin in real time. She corrects your grammar and pronunciation as you speak and adapts to your level. Each session targets one grammar pattern — in this case 不是...就是 — and takes about 10 minutes. Your first conversation is free to try.
Yes — you can print handwriting worksheets using the free Chinese worksheet generator. Ready-made packs cover HSK 1–3 words, so you can reinforce characters you already know while working on HSK 4 grammar patterns like 不是...就是.