Learn two different structures using 除了…以外 (chúle…yǐwài): “except for” and “besides/in addition to”
1 Introduction to 除了…以外 (chúle…yǐwài)
The structure “除了…以外” (chúle…yǐwài) is used to express two different meanings in Chinese, depending on what follows it:
- Except for – when followed by “都 (dōu)” meaning “all” or “every”
- Besides/In addition to – when followed by “还 (hái)” or “也 (yě)” meaning “also”
Structure 1: Except For
Structure 2: Besides
Visual Structure Comparison
Complete Sentence: 除了榴莲以外，所有的水果她都爱吃。
(She likes all fruit except for durian.)
The Key Difference: 都 vs 还/也
The word that follows 除了…以外 determines the meaning of the whole structure:
都 (dōu) = “all”
Example: 除了榴莲（以外），所有的水果她都爱吃。
All fruit except durian, she likes.
还/也 (hái/yě) = “also”
Example: 除了打篮球（以外），你还有什么爱好？
Besides basketball, what other hobbies do you have?
2 Structure 1: Except For (除了…以外，都…)
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3 Structure 2: Besides/In Addition To (除了…以外，还/也…)
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Practice Exercises
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