而是 Pronunciation and Pinyin
而是 Usage and Examples
but rather
instead
on the contrary
我担心的不是自己，而是婴儿。
I'm not afraid for me, but for the baby.
我没有开灯，而是摸索着穿过房间。
I didn't turn on the light, but groped my way across the room.
The characters in 而是
Stroke OrderMore words starting with 而
- ér而 shì是but rather, instead
- ér而shàng上go up, ascend
- ér而xià下downward, and below
- ér而bù不but not, rather than
- ér而bù不jín仅jǐn仅shì是and not just, and not only
- ér而bú不yuàn愿yì意but unwilling, and not willing
- ér而bú不shì是rather than, instead of
- ér而bú不zì自zhī知unbeknownst to oneself, without realizing it
- ér而bú不jìn进xíng行without, without doing
- ér而qiě且Moreover, Furthermore
- ér而jīn今now; at present
- ér而huì会and will, but will
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Open the tool →Questions about 而是
What does 而是 mean in Chinese?
而是 (ér shì) means “but rather, instead, on the contrary”.
How do you pronounce 而是?
而是 is pronounced ér shì in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you say “but rather” in Chinese?
“but rather” is 而是 (ér shì) in Chinese.
How is 而是 used in a sentence?
This page has 2 example sentences using 而是, each with pinyin and an English translation.