而是

érshì

conjunction HSK 4 #1,359

Meanings

他不是老师，而是学生。

Tā búshì lǎoshī, érshì xuéshēng.

He is not a teacher, but rather a student.

问题不是钱，而是时间。

Wèntí búshì qián, érshì shíjiān.

The problem is not money, but rather time.

我不是不想去，而是没有时间。

Wǒ búshì bù xiǎng qù, érshì méiyǒu shíjiān.

It's not that I don't want to go, but rather that I don't have time.

grammar

而是 always pairs with 不是: 不是A，而是B = not A, but rather B. This is one of the most important contrast patterns in Chinese.

而 ér

是 shì