How to use 不但…甚至连…也
不但 + first point，甚至连 + surprising focus + 也 / 都 + predicate
不但…甚至连…也 extends a statement by adding a more striking case. The first clause establishes one fact; the second moves to something less expected or more extreme on the relevant scale. The effect resembles not only, but even. The focus after 连 can be an object, an action, or a person, so it need not be a new grammatical subject.
Put 甚至连 before the element that makes the addition surprising, and use 也 or 都 before the second predicate. The clauses should support a clear progression rather than merely list unrelated facts. Both can be negative, in which case the second expands the scope of what is lacking or unknown.
Examples with pinyin and English
他不但不知道李连杰， 甚至连成龙也不知道。
Not only does he not know Jet Li, he doesn't even know Jackie Chan.
妹妹不但喜欢榴莲这样味道重的， 甚至连臭豆腐也喜欢。
My sister not only likes durian, which has a strong flavor, but even stinky tofu too.
你男朋友不但帮你做好了攻略， 甚至连飞机票也帮你买好了。
Your boyfriend not only helped you with your vacation planning, he even helped you buy your plane tickets.
在家里隔离的时候， 不但小区出不去， 甚至连家门也不让你出去。
When isolating at home, you can't leave your neighborhood, and you aren't even allowed to leave your house.
What to remember
- Make the second case more surprising in context.
- Focus the relevant element after 甚至连.
- Use 也 or 都 before its matching predicate.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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