ではなくて
Not A but B, Conjunctive
Structure
［い］Adjective + の + ではなく（て）(1)
［な］Adjective + ではなく（て）(1)
Noun + ではなく（て）(1)
(1) じゃなく（て）
Explanation
The negative form of the auxiliary verb だ can be used to say 'not A, but B'. This structure, ではなく, denies the first statement and presents the second one as the correct alternative. It can be used by itself or with the conjunction particle て added to the end.
ではなくて most often follows a noun. It can also be attached to verbs or adjectives that have been turned into noun phrases with の or こと.
- 問題があったら隠すのではなくて、先生に相談してください。If you have a problem, don't hide it, but please consult with your teacher.
- これではなくて、あれを見せてください。Not this one, but please show me that one over there.
- この部屋は静かではなくて、うるさいです。This room is not quiet, it's noisy.
- ペンではなくて、鉛筆で書いてください。Please write it with a pencil, not a pen.
Within ではなくて, the adverbial particle は is not grammatically mandatory. However, because this grammar point is used to contrast what something 'is not' with what it 'is', including は emphasizes this contrast and generally makes the sentence sound more natural.
- 私の専攻は物理ではなくて、化学です。My major is not physics, but chemistry.
- これはゴミでなくて、大切な物です。This is not trash, it's something important.
Caution
In Japanese, the particle て often acts like a connector between clauses. When て is dropped from ではなくて, the resulting form ではなく may not connect smoothly to the following clause, which is why a comma is frequently used instead. This く ending is the conjunctive form, which typically connects directly only to other 用言 (conjugatable words) like verbs and adjectives.
- 彼女は怒っているのではなく、ただ疲れているだけです。She's not angry, she's simply tired.
- 新しいのではなく、古いのを選んだ。I chose the old one, not the new one.
Examples
彼は学生じゃなくて先生です。
He is not a student, but a teacher.
あの建物は学校ではなくて病院だ。
That building is not a school, but a hospital.
私が欲しいのは赤じゃなくて青です。
The one I want is not the red one, but the blue one.
飲み物は紅茶ではなくてコーヒーをお願いします。
I'd like coffee, not tea, please.
会議の場所はここじゃなくて、隣の部屋ですよ。
The meeting location is not here, but in the next room.
彼女は妹じゃなくて姉だ。
She's not my younger sister, but my older sister.
これは嘘ではなくて本当の話です。
This is not a lie, but a true story.
駅まではバスじゃなくてタクシーで行きましょう。
Let's take a taxi to the station, not the bus.
注文したのはMサイズではなくてLサイズです。
What I ordered was not a size M, but a size L.
それは失敗じゃなくて、いい経験だよ。
That wasn't a failure, but a good experience.
あれは犬じゃなくて狐じゃない？
Isn't that a fox, not a dog?
私の専門は物理学ではなくて生物学です。
My field of expertise is not physics, but biology.