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"

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

Structure

除了 ⋯⋯ (+ 以外) ,Subj. + 都 ⋯⋯

以外 can be omitted from the pattern without changing its meaning.

Examples

  • 除了 他 ,我们 去 过 。Chúle tā , wǒmen dōu qù guo.Except for him, we've all been there.
  • 除了 白酒 ,别的 酒 他 喝 。Chúle báijiǔ, biéde jiǔ tā dōu hē.He drinks all kinds of alcohol except baijiu.
  • 除了 周末 ,老板 每天 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 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 看 。Chúle zhèngzhì xīnwén yǐwài, qítā xīnwén wǒ dōu kàn.I read all types of news except for political news.

Used as "in Addition"

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

Structure

除了 ⋯⋯ (+ 以外) ,Subj. + 也 / 还 ⋯⋯

Examples

  • 除了 英语 ,我 会 说 法语 和 西班牙语 。Chúle Yīngyǔ, wǒ huì shuō Fǎyǔ hé Xībānyáyǔ.In addition to English, I can also speak French and Spanish.
  • 除了 运动 以外 ,你 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 养 过 兔子 。Chúle māo hé gǒu, wǒ hái yǎng guo tùzi.In addition to a cat and a dog, I also had a rabbit.
  • 除了 海鲜 ,你 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 很 有名。Zhōngguó de gōngfu míngxīng, chúle Lǐ Xiǎolóng hé Chéng Lóng yǐwài, Lǐ Liánjié hěn yǒumíng.In addition to Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, Jet Li is also a very famous Chinese kung fu star.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books