Question 1

Why is и necessary after но here? Can I just say но красивый?

Accepted Answer

The structure не только ... , но и ... is a fixed double conjunction meaning "not only ... , but also ...". If you drop the и, it sounds like you are setting up a contradiction rather than adding a complementary trait. The и provides the crucial "also" meaning.

Question 2

Could I put не только at the very beginning of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Placement is very strict with this conjunction. It must sit immediately before the specific parallel elements being balanced. Here, it balances the two adjectives (большой and красивый). If you put не только at the start of the sentence, you would be implying "Not only our new residential complex is large, but [another building] is too," which completely changes the meaning.

Question 3

Why use the full adjectives большой and красивый instead of their short forms (велик, красив) since they act as the predicate?

Accepted Answer

While short adjectives are frequently used as predicates, full adjectives are strongly preferred here because they describe permanent, inherent characteristics of the building. Furthermore, the short forms велик and красив can sound overly formal, poetic, or dramatic for a standard description of real estate.

Question 4

Is жилой комплекс the standard way to say "apartment building"?

Accepted Answer

Жилой комплекс (often abbreviated in everyday life as ЖК) specifically means "residential complex" or "housing development," usually implying a modern cluster of buildings with shared infrastructure. If you simply mean a standard, single apartment building, you would use дом or многоквартирный дом.

Наш новый жилой комплекс не только большой, но и красивый.

Breakdown of Наш новый жилой комплекс не только большой, но и красивый.

Questions & Answers about Наш новый жилой комплекс не только большой, но и красивый.

Learn Наш новый жилой комплекс не только большой, но и красивый and more in Russian