Meaning of 不光
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- not the only one
- not only
How to use 不光
不光 works like 不但 and is usually followed by 也 or 还 in the second half of the sentence. It is more casual and spoken than 不但. Example: 他不光会说中文，还会说日语。(Tā bùguāng huì shuō Zhōngwén, hái huì shuō Rìyǔ.) He can speak not only Chinese but also Japanese.
不 (bù) means not, and 光 (guāng) can mean only or just, as in 光吃饭 (just eating). So 不光 is literally not just, which is why it means not only.
Common mistake: Learners often forget the second half and stop after the 不光 clause, or they link it with 但是. Use 也 or 还 (or 而且) instead, as in 不光好吃，也很便宜, not 不光好吃，但是很便宜.
不光 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
不 bù · no · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
光 guāng · light · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 不光.
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing |
Questions about 不光
What does 不光 mean?
不光 (bùguāng) means "not the only one; not only" and is used as a adverb and conjunction.
How do you write 不光?
不光 is made of 2 characters: 不 (4 strokes), 光 (6 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 不光 an HSK word?
Yes. 不光 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 不光 different from 不但 and 不仅?
All three mean not only. 不光 is the most colloquial, 不但 is neutral, and 不仅 sounds a bit more formal and written.
Can 不光 come before the subject?
Yes. If the two clauses have different subjects, put 不光 before the first subject, as in 不光我去，他也去 (Not only am I going, he is going too). If the subject is the same, put 不光 after it.