kyou ha ie de yasumuno de ha naku, tosyokan de benkyousimasu.

It is the pattern A のではなく、B = not A, but B.

So here:

• 家で休むのではなく = instead of resting at home / not resting at home
• 図書館で勉強します = (I) will study at the library

This pattern is often used to contrast two actions more explicitly than simple ない.

Structure:

• 休む = to rest
• の = turns the verb phrase into something noun-like
• ではなく = is not / rather than

Together, 休むのではなく literally works like it is not the case of resting → more naturally, not resting or instead of resting.

Because 休む is inside a larger grammatical structure, not at the end of the sentence.

In Japanese, only the final main verb usually carries the politeness level for the whole sentence:

• 休む → plain form inside the contrast structure
• 勉強します → polite final verb

So this is very normal Japanese. You do not need:

• 休みますのではなく ✘

The sentence sounds natural because the politeness is shown at the end with 勉強します.

Here, の nominalizes the verb phrase. That means it turns 休む (to rest) into something like resting as a concept.

So:

• 休む = to rest
• 休むの = resting / the act of resting

That allows the phrase to connect to ではなく.

A helpful way to think about it:

• 家で休む = rest at home
• 家で休むのではなく = not the act of resting at home, but...

In natural English, we usually would not translate the の directly.

No. They look the same, but they are doing different jobs.

In 家で and 図書館で

で is the location particle meaning at/in, specifically the place where an action happens.

• 家で休む = rest at home
• 図書館で勉強する = study at the library

In のではなく

This では is part of a grammatical expression, not a location marker.

You can think of it as:

• の + ではない
• then ではない becomes ではなく to connect to what comes next

So the two で particles are not the same in function.

Because 休む is treated as an action happening at a location, so で is used.

• で marks the place where an action occurs
• に often marks destination, existence, or a point in time

So:

• 家で休む = rest at home
• 図書館で勉強する = study at the library

Compare:

• 家にいる = be at home
  Here いる is existence, so に is natural.
• 家で休む = rest at home
  Here 休む is an action/state activity, so で is natural.

今日は sets today as the topic: as for today.

So the sentence has a nuance like:

• Today, rather than resting at home, (I) will study at the library.

Using は helps frame the statement and can imply contrast with other days or other expectations.

For example, it can sound like:

• Today, I’m not staying home to rest; I’m studying at the library.

Without は, the sentence would still be understandable in some contexts, but 今日は is very natural for introducing the day as the topic.

In ではなく, the は adds contrast/emphasis.

This is related to で + は:

• ではない = is not / is not the case
• ではなく = not..., and instead...

In many common expressions, では behaves as a set phrase. You do not need to analyze it too deeply every time, but it often carries a slight contrastive feel.

That makes sense here, because the whole sentence is contrasting two possibilities:

• resting at home vs.
• studying at the library

The comma marks a pause after the contrasting first part:

• 家で休むのではなく、
• 図書館で勉強します。

It helps separate:

1. the thing being rejected: not resting at home
2. the thing actually happening: studying at the library

In writing, this comma is very natural with のではなく because the sentence has a clear not A, but B structure.

Because Japanese often omits subjects when they are understood from context.

So the sentence could mean:

• I will study at the library today, not rest at home.
• We will study at the library today, not rest at home.

In most situations, the listener can tell who the subject is from context, so saying 私 is often unnecessary.

If you added it, it would be:

• 私は今日は家で休むのではなく、図書館で勉強します。

But that is often more explicit than needed.

Sometimes の and こと can both nominalize verbs, but in this pattern のではなく is much more natural.

• 休むのではなく = natural
• 休むことではなく = possible in some contexts, but less natural here

Why? Because のではなく is a very common set pattern for contrasting actions in everyday Japanese.

So for learners, it is best to remember:

• A のではなく、B
• not A, but B

as a whole structure.

Yes. They are related, but the nuance and style are different.

More formal/standard

• 休むのではなく、図書館で勉強します。

More casual

• 休むんじゃなくて、図書館で勉強する。
• 家で休むんじゃなくて、図書館で勉強する。

Very casual / lighter

• 家で休むじゃなくて is generally less standard here than 休むんじゃなくて

So:

• のではなく = more neutral, written, careful
• んじゃなくて = conversational and common in speech

Not necessarily, but it strongly suggests a contrast against that idea.

Depending on context, it could mean:

• someone expected the speaker to rest at home
• the speaker is correcting a misunderstanding
• the speaker is emphasizing their real plan
• the speaker is comparing two possible actions

So the nuance is something like:

• I’m not going to rest at home today; I’m going to study at the library.

It often sounds more contrastive than simply saying:

• 今日は図書館で勉強します。 = I’ll study at the library today.

Yes, the general idea not A, but B can be used broadly.

With verbs

• 遊ぶのではなく、勉強する。
• not play, but study

With nouns

• 先生ではなく、学生です。
• not a teacher, but a student

With adjectives

• 簡単なのではなく、難しいです。
• it’s not easy; it’s difficult

In your sentence, it is used with a verb phrase:

• 家で休むのではなく、図書館で勉強します。