N2 Addition and Scope

~のみならず(~も): meaning, usage and examples

~のみならず(~も) means: not only... but also...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 彼かれは日本語にほんごのみならず韓国語かんこくごも話はなせる。

   He can speak not only Japanese but also Korean.

2. 彼女かのじょは美うつくしいのみならず、才能さいのうもある。

   She is not only beautiful but also talented.

3. この問題もんだいは若者わかもののみならず、高齢こうれい者しゃにも影響えいきょうを与あたえている。

   This problem affects not only young people but also older people.

4. その作家さっかは国内こくないのみならず、海外かいがいでも高たかく評価ひょうかされている。

   That writer is highly regarded not only in Japan but also abroad.

When to use it

A formal "not only X but also Y." 国内こくないのみならず海外かいがいでも人気にんきがある means "It is popular not only in Japan but also abroad." The second part usually has も or でも and adds a wider or more surprising case. At the start of a sentence, のみならず means "moreover."

Nuance

Formal and written: news, reports, speeches. In conversation use だけでなく instead. Both items are usually facts, and the addition widens the scope. Avoid it in casual talk with friends, where it sounds stiff.

Compare

だけでなく is the everyday version: 英語えいごだけでなく中国語ちゅうごくごも話はなせる. はもとより says X is obvious and Y is added: 大人おとなはもとより子こどもも楽たのしめる. に限かぎらず says the range is not limited to X: 夏なつに限かぎらず、一年中いちねんじゅう人気にんきがある. のみならず is the most formal of the three.

Tip: のみ is the written form of だけ, so のみならず is simply a formal だけでなく.