不在于…而在于…
what matters is not A but B
Structure
关键 不在于 A ， 而在于 B
What it means
'What matters is not A but B': corrects a common view about where the key to something lies. 在于 means 'lies in'.
How it is built
Topic + 不在于 A，而在于 B: 成功不在于你做了多少，而在于你坚持了多久 (success lies not in how much you did but in how long you kept at it).
When to use it
Formal and essay-like, good for arguments and speeches. Related frames: 关键在于…, 问题在于…, 区别在于…. In speech: 重要的不是A，是B.
Watch out
Keep A and B parallel in form: ✓不在于有多少钱，而在于怎么花。 在于 can't end a sentence; it needs what follows: ✗关键在于。 ✓关键在于坚持。
Examples
语言的最高境界，不在于词汇量有多大，而在于听得懂没说出口的话。
The highest level of a language lies not in vocabulary size but in understanding what is left unsaid.
成功不在于你做了多少，而在于你坚持了多久。
Success lies not in how much you did but in how long you kept at it.
Learn this in Lesson 213 · HSK 9+: 弦外之音 (What is left unsaid)
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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