だけでなく

だけでなく means not only… but also; as well as ~. It is a JLPT N3 grammar pattern used to add extra information or emphasize that something applies to more than one thing.

This grammar point often appears in neutral to formal Japanese. If you want to expand a statement to include additional qualities or facts, だけでなく is a useful pattern to learn.

What does だけでなく mean?

Use だけでなく when you want to add extra information or emphasize that something applies to more than one thing.

Natural translations include:

• not only… but also ~
• not only… but also; as well as ~
• not only… but also

How to form だけでなく

[Verb plain / い-adjective / な-adjective + な / Noun] + だけでなく、〜も〜

Examples of the pattern:

• 安いだけでなく
• 便利なだけでなく
• 彼だけでなく

When is だけでなく used?

Use だけでなく in situations like:

• academic writing
• formal explanations
• emphasizing multiple qualities

Tone and register:

• neutral to formal
• Common in academic writing, test questions, and written narratives

だけでなく example sentences

• 日本だけでなく、韓国でも人気だ。 — It’s popular not only in Japan but also in Korea.
• 安いだけでなく、品質もいい。 — It’s not only cheap, but also high quality.
• 彼女は頭がいいだけでなく、親切だ。 — She is not only smart but also kind.
• この本は面白いだけでなく、教育的でもある。 — This book is not only interesting but also educational.
• 日本人だけでなく、外国人も参加した。 — Not only Japanese people but also foreigners participated.

Nuance of だけでなく

The key nuance is more natural and common in spoken Japanese than ばかりでなく; versatile across registers.

This matters because 〜だけでなく is the everyday alternative to ばかりでなく. It is less formal but equally correct. It pairs naturally with も.

For example:

• In academic writing, it sounds natural and specific.
• Compared with ばかりでなく, it carries a different weight and implication.

だけでなく vs ばかりでなく

Both だけでなく and ばかりでなく can express not only… but also, but they are different.

だけでなく:

• more neutral and common in both spoken and written Japanese; softer tone

ばかりでなく:

• slightly more formal and emphatic; often used in written or intellectual contexts

Quick contrast examples:

• 安いばかりでなく、品質もいい。 — Not only cheap, but also high quality (formal).
• 安いだけでなく、品質もいい。 — Not only cheap, but also high quality (natural).

Common mistakes with だけでなく

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Forgetting to add も in the second clause
• Using it with the wrong verb form (must be plain form before だけでなく)
• Using it in highly formal documents where のみならず might be preferred

Is だけでなく on the JLPT?

Yes. だけでなく is commonly taught as JLPT N3 grammar.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

For test preparation, study the grammar point in full sentences. JLPT questions often test whether you understand the surrounding context, not just the dictionary meaning.

Practice questions for だけでなく

Try making your own sentences with these prompts:

• Say a city is not only beautiful but also safe.
• Describe someone as not only hardworking but also creative.
• Explain that a book is not only interesting but also educational.

Learning path for だけでなく

To learn だけでなく efficiently, review simple listing with そして, then practice adding a second point in the same positive or negative direction.

1. First, make sure you can form だけでなく without looking at the pattern chart.
2. Next, compare it with 上に（うえに）, ばかりでなく. These patterns are close enough that choosing between them helps you understand the nuance.
3. Finally, write sentences that stack reasons, qualities, or examples; then check whether replacing だけでなく with はもちろん changes the meaning.

Related grammar to review next

• 上に（うえに） — because it also adds information in “not only / in addition” sentences.
• ばかりでなく — because it also adds information in “not only / in addition” sentences.
• はもちろん — because it also adds information in “not only / in addition” sentences.
• も～ば～も — because it also adds information in “not only / in addition” sentences.

Learn だけでなく with Hane

If you want to review だけでなく together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you connect grammar, kanji, and vocabulary in short, focused sessions.

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