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

Using 除了 (chúle)--often with 以外 (yǐwài)--will help you spruce up your sentences when you want to express the meanings of "except," "besides," or "in addition." You may feel that "except" has a pretty different meaning from 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 (dōu)!

除了 ⋯⋯ (+ 以外) ，Subj. + 都 ⋯⋯

Examples

• 除了 他 ，我们 都 去 过 。Chúle tā , wǒmen dōu qù guo.We've all been there, except him.
• 除了 白酒 ，别的 酒 他 都 喝 。Chúle báijiǔ, biéde jiǔ tā dōu hē.He drinks all kinds of alcohol except baijiu.
• 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 every day.
• 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.We're satisfied with all aspects except for the price.
• 除了 政治 新闻 以外 ，其他 新闻 我都 看 。Chúle zhèngzhì xīnwén yǐwài, qítā xīnwén wǒ dōu kàn.I read all types of news except for political 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.
• 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 ，你 还 对 什么 过敏 ？Chúle hǎixiān, nǐ hái duì shénme guòmǐn?In addition to seafood, what else are you allergic to?
• 中国 的 功夫 明星 ，除了 李小龙 和 成龙 以外 ，李连杰 也 很 有名 。Zhōngguó de gōngfu míngxīng, chúle Lǐ xiǎolóng hé Chéng Lóng yǐwài, Lǐ Liánjié yě hěn yǒumíng.In addition to Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan , Jet Li is also very famous as a Chinese Kungfu star.

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]