"không những... mà còn" in Vietnamese: meaning, usage & examples — Emphasis & Exclamations

Definition

What it means

Illustration for the Vietnamese grammar pattern không những... mà còn

English

"không những ... mà còn ..." means "not only ... but also ...". It links two qualities or actions of the same subject, adding a second, often stronger point. "không chỉ" is a common swap for "không những"; a final "nữa" adds extra weight.

Tiếng Việt

Không những ... mà còn ... nghĩa "không những ... mà còn ...", nối hai tính chất/hành động của cùng một chủ thể, thêm ý thứ hai mạnh hơn. Không chỉ thay được cho không những; thêm nữa ở cuối để nhấn.

Examples

In real Southern Vietnamese

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Nhỏ Lan không những học giỏi mà còn hát hay.

Lan is not only a good student but also sings well.
Quán này không những rẻ mà còn ngon nữa.

This place is not only cheap but also delicious.
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Usage notes

Pattern: Subject + không những + Quality 1 + mà còn + Quality 2 + (nữa). Stacks two positive (or negative) features about the same subject. The closing 'nữa' is optional but very common in Southern speech and gives the sentence rhythm.

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không những... mà còn

What it means

In real Southern Vietnamese

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Everything you need to use it like a local

Check yourself

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