而是

érshì

conjunction #1,359

Meanings

HSK 1

他不是老师，而是学生。

Tā búshì lǎoshī, érshì xuésheng.

He is not a teacher, but rather a student.

HSK 1

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.

HSK 5

成功靠的不是运气，而是努力。

Chénggōng kào de búshì yùnqi, érshì nǔlì.

Success depends not on luck, but on effort.

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