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Ce n'est pas qu'il soit indisponible, mais il est occupé.

Ce n'est pas qu'il soit indisponible, mais il est occupé.
It is not that he is unavailable, but he is busy.
From Lesson 445:Refuting a cause (ce n'est pas que)·French

Breakdown of Ce n'est pas qu'il soit indisponible, mais il est occupé.

être
to be
il
he
mais
but
occupé
busy
indisponible
unavailable
ce n'est pas que
it is not that

Questions & Answers about Ce n'est pas qu'il soit indisponible, mais il est occupé.

Why is soit in the subjunctive here?
The phrase Ce n'est pas que (It is not that) introduces a rejected reason. In French, when you deny that something is the cause, you use the subjunctive to show it is not the actual reality.
Why does the second part use the indicative (est) instead of the subjunctive?
The second half of the sentence, mais il est occupé, states the actual reason. Because it is a stated fact, it takes the indicative mood, contrasting directly with the rejected subjunctive reason in the first half.
Could I use Non que instead of Ce n'est pas que here?
Yes! Non qu'il soit indisponible means exactly the same thing. Non que is just slightly more formal and concise than Ce n'est pas que. Both phrases require the subjunctive.
What is the subtle difference between being indisponible and being occupé?
Indisponible generally means strictly unavailable (perhaps away, off duty, or out of the building), whereas occupé means busy doing something. The sentence draws a distinction: he is around and technically reachable, but he currently has his hands full.

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