并非
How to Understand
并非 means 'not at all' or 'by no means,' used to emphasize that something is not true or not the case. It is often used in contrast to expectations or assumptions, making it an important expression for negation in Chinese.
The character 并 (bìng) originally meant 'to merge' or 'to combine,' and later came to mean 'and' or 'also.' The character 非 (fēi) means 'not' or 'un-' as a prefix. Together, 并非 conveys a strong negation, emphasizing that something is completely false or untrue.
并非 is commonly used in formal and informal contexts to refute a statement or clarify a misunderstanding. It is often found in written Chinese and is used in both spoken and written language. Related expressions include 并不是 (bìng bú shì), which has a similar meaning but is slightly more neutral.