485 - (ただ)~だけでなく

Not only does mastering Japanese make you look cool (to your parents), but it also allows you to nerd out on weird otaku stuff.

Learning karate isn't just great exercise. You can also rain devastating blows upon your punk-ass siblings.

Not only are you starting to think this lesson is weird. You're also ready for me to get to the point already.

Fine.

Here:


JLPT N3: (ただ)~だけでなく 〈not only... but also

There are lots of ways to say "not only [blah blah blah], but also [blah blah]" in Japanese.

In this lesson, we're looking at this way:

(ただ) [blah blah blah] だけでなく、[blah blah] ()

An example:

あのレストランはただ料理が美味しいだけでなく、サービス素晴らしい。
あの レストラン は ただ りょうり が おいしい だけでなく、 サービス も すばらしい。
Not only does that restaurant have delicious food, but fantastic service also.
Literally: “that + restaurant + は + just / only + cooking + が + tasty / delicious + だけでなく, + service + も + wonderful / splendid.”

We have the phrase:

料理が美味しい
りょうり が おいしい
the food is delicious
Literally: "cooking + が + tasty / delicious"

Then we wrap that in ただ (which means "just; only") and だけでなく (which means "not only"), giving us:

ただ料理が美味しいだけでなく
ただ りょうり が おいしい だけでなく
not only is the food delicious
Literally: "just / only + cooking + が + tasty / delicious + だけでなく"

Then we follow that up with our "but also" phrase:

サービス素晴らしい
サービス も すばらしい
the service is also fantastic
Literally: "service + も + wonderful / splendid"

To rephrase, when you want to say:

Not only A, but also B.

Then you can say:

(ただ) A だけでなく、B (も).

And here is our full example one more time:

あのレストランはただ料理が美味しいだけでなく、サービス素晴らしい。
あの レストラン は ただ りょうり が おいしい だけでなく、 サービス も すばらしい。
Not only does that restaurant have delicious food, but fantastic service also.
Literally: “that + restaurant + は + just / only + cooking + が + tasty / delicious + だけでなく, + service + も + wonderful / splendid.”

I hope that makes sense because I'm running out of words to explain it.


To construct these phrases grammatically, do one of the following:

(1) Put a NOUN directly before だけでなく.

(2) Put any word (e.g. a VERB, an i-ADJECTIVE, or even a NOUN or na-ADJECTIVE followed by である) in plain form directly before だけでなく.

No highlights and whatnot for this lesson--I think you can handle it.


Note that we won't always have ただ (="just; only") in our "not only" clause:


東京や京都などの観光地だけでなく、ぜひ田舎のほうに行ってみてください。
とうきょう や きょうと など の かんこうち だけでなく、 ぜひ いなか の ほう に も いって みて ください。
Don’t just go to tourist destinations in places like Tokyo and Kyoto. Please be sure to also visit the countryside.
Literally: “Tokyo + や + Kyoto + and so on + の + tourist attraction / sightseeing area + だけでなく, + certainly / without fail + countryside / rural area + の + way / side / area + にも + go (and) + see (and) + please.”


In any case, using both ただ and だけ in the same phrase has always been a bit confusing to me... since they both mean "only." I even wrote an article about this a few years ago... It’s just my only problem: The difference between ただ and だけ.

Tricky stuff.


オリーブオイルはただ食品であるだけでなく、スキンケアやヘアケアに使える優れ物です。
オリーブオイル は ただ しょくひん である だけでなく、 スキンケア や ヘアケア に も つかえる すぐれもの です。
Olive oil is not just for food; it can also be used for things like skin care and hair care.
Literally: “olive oil + は + just / only + food product + である + だけでなく, + skin care + や + hair care + にも + can use + exceptional item + です.”


Last one, yo:


そのホテルは無料で空港に迎えに来てくれただけでなく、観光案内してくれた。
その ホテル は むりょう で くうこう に むかえ に きて くれた だけでなく、 かんこう あんない も して くれた。
Not only did the hotel pick us up from the airport for free, but they also took us sightseeing.
Literally: “that + hotel + は + free + で + airport + に + pick (us) up (and) + gave (us) + だけでなく, + showing around tourist areas + も + did (and) + gave (us).”


Read the sentences in this lesson だけでなく, try to close your eyes and repeat them も.

Then try to make your own, if you're feeling especially wild today...




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