并非
is not (as one might think); by no means
Structure
主语 并非 名词／动词短语 （， 而是／只是 真实情况）
What it means
“Is not (as you might think), by no means”: 非 is classical for 不是 and 并 strengthens it, so 并非 = 并不是 (并不, lesson 2-1). It corrects an assumption.
How it is built
Subject + 并非 + noun/verb phrase (，而是／只是 + the truth): 他的成功并非偶然，而是努力的结果 (his success is no accident but the result of hard work).
When to use it
Written: news, essays; in speech say 并不是 or 不是. 只是 gives the real reason: 并非不想帮忙，只是太忙了. 并非所有…都… means “not all”; 所有的…都不… means “none”.
Watch out
✗ 他昨天并非来。 ✓ 他昨天并没有来: 并非 denies what something is, not whether it happened. 并非是 is often heard, but careful writers drop the doubled 是.
Examples
这个数字并非全部成本，此前的研究和实验都没算在内。
This figure is not the whole cost: earlier research and experiments are not counted in it.
他的成功并非偶然，而是十几年努力的结果。
His success is no accident; it is the result of more than ten years of hard work.
并非所有的年轻人都想去大城市工作。
Not all young people want to work in a big city.
Learn this in Lesson 72 · HSK 6: DeepSeek与大模型 (DeepSeek and the AI race)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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