彼は歌が上手なばかりでなく、ダンスも得意です
Kare wa uta ga jouzu na bakari de naku, dansu mo tokui desu
He's good at singing and dancing
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Used to say that something is true not just for one thing, but also for another, highlighting multiple skills.
The Japanese grammatical construction 'ばかりでなく' (bakari de naku) is used to express 'not only... but also...' It is a combination of several elements: * **ばかり (bakari):** This word indicates 'only,' 'just,' or 'about.' When used in this construction, it focuses on the exclusivity of the preceding clause. * **で (de):** This is a particle that can have various functions, including indicating means, cause, or a state. In this context, it connects the idea of 'only' to the negative form. * **なく (naku):** This is the negative form of the adjective 'ない' (nai), meaning 'not existing' or 'not being.' When combined, 'でなく' means 'not being just' or 'not only.' Therefore, 'ばかりでなく' literally translates to something like 'not being only [the preceding thing],' implying that there is more to it. It emphasizes that the scope is not limited to the first item mentioned. This construction is highly versatile and can be used with various parts of speech. It is commonly employed to highlight additional qualities, skills, or characteristics of a person or thing. The example sentence '彼は歌が上手なばかりでなく、ダンスも得意です' (Kare wa uta ga jōzu na bakari de naku, dansu mo tokui desu) directly uses this structure to convey 'He is not only good at singing, but also good at dancing.' It effectively communicates the idea of possessing multiple talents beyond the initial one mentioned. Historically, similar constructions have existed in Japanese to express inclusivity and addition. The nuance of 'ばかり' shifting from 'only' to a part of an 'not only' structure reflects the evolution of grammatical expressions to convey more complex relationships between clauses.
