“Not Only… but Also” in Italian
In Italian, the expression “not only… but also” is translated as non solo… ma anche. It works just like its English counterpart, that is, it emphasizes two points in a sentence.
The first point sets up an expectation, while the second one expands on an idea and provides additional information. It is useful to build more complex, nuanced sentences in both written and spoken Italian.
The structure is composed of the negating word non that introduces the adverb solo, and the conjunction ma that introduces the second adverb anche.
Let me now show you some examples of “not only… but also” in Italian.
How to use “non Solo… ma Anche”
Just like in English, non solo… ma anche is perfect to create contrast, add information, or emphasize a statement. The non solo introduces the first idea, and ma anche expands it by adding something equally or even more important.
For example:
Non solo mi ha aiutato con il trasloco, ma ha anche pagato per i trasporti.
Not only did s/he help me with moving, but s/he also paid the transports.
Non ho studiato solo francese, ma anche spagnolo.
Not only did I study French, but also Spanish.
As you can see, the order of the sentence is quite flexible, allowing you to introduce the contrasting or parallel ideas as you prefer. Have a look at the example below:
Non solo era gentile, ma anche molto disponibile.
Not only was he kind, but he was also very helpful.
Non era solo gentile, ma anche molto disponibile.
He was not only kind, but also very helpful.
Just as noticeable in the English translations, the nuance of the sentences might slightly switch depending on how you use the structure, yet they both convey the same information.
Non solo è intelligente, ma anche molto creativo.
Not only is he intelligent, but he’s also very creative.
Non è solo intelligente, ma è anche molto creativo.
He is not only intelligent, but he’s also very creative.
