Emphasizing Multiple Qualities
To highlight that someone or something possesses multiple skills, traits, or acts in multiple ways, Polish uses the correlative conjunction nie tylko ..., ale i ... ("not only ..., but also ...").
| The versatile expert knows not only this field, but also everything else. | Wszechstronny ekspert zna nie tylko tę dziedzinę, ale i wszystko inne. |
| Every talented employee has not only passion, but also competence. | Każdy utalentowany pracownik ma nie tylko pasję, ale i kompetencje. |
This structure is commonly used to describe people who are versatile, talented, or outstanding (wybitny) in their field.
| All outstanding directors are not only resourceful, but also smart. | Wszyscy wybitni dyrektorzy są nie tylko zaradni, ale i mądrzy. |
Parallel Structures
Just like in English, the grammar immediately following nie tylko should match what follows ale i. You can use this pattern to connect nouns, adjectives, or even verbs to show multiple actions.
| This athlete not only runs every morning, but also swims. | Ten sportowiec co rano nie tylko biega, ale i pływa. |
| She has mastered not only mathematics, but also art. | Opanowała nie tylko matematykę, ale i sztukę. |
If you are connecting two phrases that depend on a preposition, make sure to repeat the preposition in the second part of the sentence to maintain balance.
| His work relies not only on analysis, but also on creative writing. | Jego praca polega nie tylko na analizie, ale i na twórczym pisaniu. |
| Our success is based not only on competences, but also on creative ideas. | Nasz sukces opiera się nie tylko na kompetencjach, ale i na twórczych pomysłach. |
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