How to say both, also and not only in Chinese

都 — both / allHSK 1

How do you say "all" or "both" in Chinese?

都 comes after the things it covers and before the verb or adjective.

苹果和米饭都很好。 — Both apples and rice are good.

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也 — alsoHSK 1

Where does 也 go in a Chinese sentence?

也 sits right before the verb to add another true statement.

我喜欢苹果，也喜欢米饭。 — I like apples, and I also like rice.

Seen in 苹果和米饭大商店小商店一起吃早饭小狗和小猫 +4

一边…，一边… — doing two things at onceHSK 2

一边 + V1，一边 + V2 describes two actions happening at the same time.

他一边喝茶，一边看报纸。 — He drinks tea while reading the newspaper.

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又…又… — both...and...HSK 2

又 + adjective + 又 + adjective describes two qualities happening at the same time.

我觉得又累又饿。 — I feel both tired and hungry.

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又 + verb（to do something again）HSK 2

又 goes before a verb to show an action happening again, already in the past or present.

我又看见杯子。— I see a cup again.

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连……都……HSK 4

"Even..." — 连 picks out an extreme example and 都 (or 也) stresses it, as in 人们连机器都没有 (people didn't even have machines).

几百年前人们连机器都没有。 — Hundreds of years ago, people didn't even have machines.

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不仅……而且……HSK 4

"Not only A, but also B" — the 而且 part adds something further and often more important, as in 不仅是美丽的风景，而且是那种让人慢下来的生活.

丽江迷人的地方，不仅是美丽的风景，而且是那种让人慢下来的生活。 — What makes Lijiang charming is not only the beautiful scenery, but also the kind of life that makes people slow down.

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甚至HSK 4

甚至 means "even" and introduces the most extreme or surprising case in a list or statement, as in 我很累，甚至有点儿后悔养了它.

有一段时间我真的很累，甚至有点儿后悔养了它。 — For a while I was really exhausted; I even slightly regretted getting it.

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不但……而且……HSK 4

"Not only A, but also B" adds a second, often stronger point: 广场舞不但能锻炼身体，而且给退休以后的生活增加了不少乐趣。

这个办法不但简单，而且很有效。— This method is not only simple, but also very effective.

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既……又……HSK 4

"Both... and..." links two simultaneous benefits or qualities: 买二手的东西既省钱，又不用等厂家生产新的。

这份工作既有意思，又能锻炼人。— This job is both interesting and good practice.

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不仅…，更…HSK 5

'Not only..., but even more...' — the second clause outweighs the first in importance.

方言不仅是一种交流工具，更是一种身份的象征。 — Dialect is not only a tool for communication, but even more a symbol of identity.

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不仅…还… (not only… but also…)HSK 5

Adds a second, often more important layer: 传统手艺不仅是一种技术，还是一代又一代人生活的记忆。

他不仅会说汉语，还会写漂亮的汉字。 — He not only speaks Chinese, but also writes beautiful characters.

Seen in 传统手艺的消失谦虚的文化根源

一方面…，另一方面…HSK 5

Presents two sides or aspects of the same topic, like 'on the one hand... on the other hand...', e.g. 学汉语一方面有趣，另一方面也很难.

一方面，电动汽车不污染空气，对环保有很大的好处，另一方面，它的使用成本也比传统汽车低。 — On the one hand, electric cars do not pollute the air, which greatly benefits the environment; on the other hand, they also cost less to run than traditional cars.

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与此同时 (at the same time)HSK 5

A formal connector adding a simultaneous event: 与此同时，葡萄、西方的好马等也传入了中国。

他在学习汉语，与此同时，他也在教英语。 — He is studying Chinese; at the same time, he is also teaching English.

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不仅…，也…HSK 5

'Not only..., but also...' links two related facts to show a broader trend.

不仅中国人对中医重新产生兴趣，许多外国人也开始学习针灸。 — Not only have Chinese people rediscovered interest in Chinese medicine, many foreigners have also started learning acupuncture.

Seen in 中医的现代处境生物多样性

既……，也…… — both … andHSK 6

Joins two qualities or requirements that hold at the same time. Unlike 又……又……, it is more formal and often summarizes an argument.

这份工作既需要耐心，也需要判断力。 — This job calls for both patience and judgment.

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How to use this page

These 16 patterns all do the same job in Chinese, so they are worth seeing side by side — the differences between them are easier to feel when they are next to each other than when they are spread across six HSK levels. They range from HSK 1–6.

Grammar sticks through reading, not through lists. Each entry links to the reading it was taken from. Skim the page, then go read one of them and come back when a sentence stops making sense.

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