Expressing "except" and "in addition" with "chule… yiwai"

Using 除了 (chúle)⋯⋯ 以外 (yǐwài), 都 (dōu)⋯⋯ will help you spruce up your sentences when you want to express "except," "besides," and "in addition." You may feel that "except" has a pretty different meaning form the other two. Well, read on!

Used as "Except"

Structure

除了⋯⋯ (以外), 都⋯⋯ is a pattern used to express "except." Make a special note of the 都!

除了 ⋯⋯ (+ 以外) ，Subj. + 都 ⋯⋯

Examples

• 除了 他 ，我们 都 去 过 。Chúle tā , wǒmen dōu qù guo.Except for him, we've all been there.
• 除了 白酒 ，别的 酒 他 都 喝 。Chúle báijiǔ, biéde jiǔ tā dōu hē.He can drink anything except white wine.
• 除了 周末 ，老板 每天 都 加班 。Chúle zhōumò, lǎobǎn měi tiān dōu jiābān.Except for weekends, the boss works overtime everyday.
• 除了 价格 以外 ，其他 方面 我们 都 很 满意 。 Chúle jiàgé yǐwài, qítā fāngmiàn wǒmen dōu hěn mǎnyì.Except for the price, we're satisfied with everything else.
• 除了 政治 新闻 以外 ，其他 新闻 我都 看 。Chúle zhèngzhì xīnwén yǐwài, qítā xīnwén wǒ dōu kàn.Except for political news, I read all the types of news.

An important note is that 以外 can be omitted from the sentence without losing its meaning.

Used as "in Addition"

Structure

除了⋯⋯ (以外), 也/还⋯⋯ is a pattern used to express "in addition." Make a special note of the 也 or 还!

除了 ⋯⋯ (+ 以外) ，Subj. + 也 / 还 ⋯⋯

Examples

• 除了 英语 ，我 也 会 说 法语 和 西班牙语 。Chúle Yīngyǔ, wǒ yě huì shuō Fǎyǔ hé Xībānyáyǔ.In addition to English, I can also speak French and Spanish.
• 中国 的 功夫 明星 除了 成龙 ，李连杰 也 很 有名 。Zhōngguó de gōngfu míngxīng chúle Chéng Lóng, Lǐ Liánjié yě hěn yǒumíng.In addition to Jackie Chen, Jet Li is also very famous as a Chinese kung fu star.
• 除了 运动 以外 ，你 还 有 什么 爱好 ？Chúle yùndòng yǐwài, nǐ hái yǒu shénme àihào?In addition to sports, what other hobbies do you have?
• 除了 猫 和 狗 ，我 还 养 过 兔子 。Chúle māo hé gǒu, wǒ xiǎoshíhou hái yǎng guo tùzi.In addition to a cat and a dog, I also had a rabbit.
• 除了 海鲜 以外 ，你 还 对 什么 过敏 ？Chúle hǎixiān yǐwài, nǐ hái duì shénme guòmǐn?In addition to seafood, what else are you allergic to?

See also

• Expressing "in addition" with "lingwai"
• Expressing "in addition" with "haiyou"
• Expressing "and also" with "hai"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 80) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例) (pp. 50, 52) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 218-9) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 16-7) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 355-6) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 170) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 271) [ →buy]