Korean grammar · Level 4 · 4급
-(으)ㄹ 게 아니라 · -(으)ㄴ/는 게 아니라 · N이/가 아니라
Not X, but Y
Taught in Level 4, Unit 9: Words and proverbs
proverbs and good advice are full of 'not this, that instead'. In real talk you use the same shape to turn an excuse, a plan or a wrong idea round: 'don't just sit and wait; go and ask'.
Example
이건 소금이 아니라 설탕이에요.
This isn't salt; it's sugar.
The full explanation is in the unit · part of the Level 4 Pass, opening soon · Level 4, Unit 9
Words and proverbs
The rule with a table, Sori’s tips, practice that checks itself, a review room and a one-page cheat sheet.
See the unit preview →