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Chinese grammar lessons › Level B1

除了…以外: except and besides

除了…以外 + 都 = except (left out); 除了…以外 + 还/也 = besides (added on).

Part of the free B1 Chinese course (about HSK 4). Examples are in Simplified characters, with pinyin only for some new or hard words; press the speaker to hear one with your device's Chinese voice.

One phrase, two meanings

除了 X (以外) (chúle … yǐwài) sets X aside. What follows decides what happens to it:

Second halfMeaningX is…
都except Xleft out
还 or 也besides X, as well as Xadded on

Except: 除了…都

  • 除了小王以外，我们都去了。Apart from Xiao Wang, we all went.
  • 除了星期天，他每天都上班。He works every day except Sunday.
  • 除了他，谁都不会开车。Nobody can drive except him.

Besides: 除了…还/也

还 (hái) is the usual word when the same subject does or has something more (也 works there too); 也 (yě) is the usual word when another subject is added.

  • 除了英语，她还会说法语。Besides English, she can also speak French.
  • 除了中国菜以外，我还喜欢意大利菜。As well as Chinese food, I also like Italian food.
  • 除了我，小李也去了。Besides me, Xiao Li went too.

以外 is optional

除了…以外, 除了…之外 (zhīwài) and plain 除了… all mean the same. 除了 is the part you can't drop.

The 除了 phrase comes first, before the main clause. English can say "everyone except him"; Chinese says 除了他，大家都….

Common mistakes

  • 除了小王，我们还去了。 → 除了小王，我们都去了。For "except", use 都.
  • 除了英语，她都会说法语。 → 除了英语，她还会说法语。For "besides", use 还 or 也.
  • 我们都去了除了小王。 → 除了小王，我们都去了。The 除了 phrase goes first.
  • 除了中文以外，我还学。 → 除了中文以外，我还学日语。"Besides" needs the added thing.
  • 除了我，小李还去了。 → 除了我，小李也去了。Less natural: with a new subject, 也 is the usual word.

Practice

  1. 除了咖啡以外，我_____喜欢喝茶。
    Besides coffee, I also like drinking tea.
    Options: 还 · 都 · 就
    Show the answer

    还 — Same subject adding something: 还.

  2. 除了李明，大家_____来了。
    Everyone came except Li Ming.
    Options: 都 · 还 · 才
    Show the answer

    都 — Except = 除了 … 都.

  3. What does 除了数学，他的成绩都很好 mean?
    Options: His grades are good in everything except maths. · He's good at maths and everything else. · Maths is his only good subject.
    Show the answer

    His grades are good in everything except maths.

  4. What does 除了数学，他还喜欢物理 mean? (物理 wùlǐ = physics)
    Options: He likes physics as well as maths. · He likes physics but not maths. · He only likes maths.
    Show the answer

    He likes physics as well as maths.

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions you can answer in characters or pinyin. It then comes back for review on later days, until you've answered it correctly on three separate days.
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