B1 Intermediate Conjunctions & Connectors

How to Say “Except” and “Besides” in Chinese (除了……以外)

One frame, two opposite meanings, and the adverb after the comma is the tell. 除了 + X (+ 以外)，Subj + 都 / 也 / 还. With 都 it means “except” (X is left out): 除了他，我们都去过 (“except him, we’ve all been”). With 也 or 还 it means “in addition / besides” (X is kept in, more is added): 除了英语，我也会说日语 (“besides English, I also speak Japanese”). 以外 is optional; the 都 vs 也 / 还 choice is what sets the meaning.

Why this trips learners up

Here’s a piece of Chinese that looks like one pattern but means two opposite things. That’s the puzzle of how to say “except” in Chinese (and “besides”) with 除了 (chúle): the frame is 除了 + X (+ 以外)，Subj + 都 / 也 / 还, and the little adverb after the comma flips the whole meaning.

除了 X…都… means “EXCEPT X.” The 都 sweeps up everything that isn’t X, leaving X out: 除了他，我们都去过 (“except him, we’ve all been”), 除了周末以外，我每天都上班 (“except weekends, I work every day”). Miss the 都 and the “except” reading collapses, so make a special note of it.

除了 X…也 / 还… means “IN ADDITION TO / BESIDES X.” Now X stays in and you pile more on top: 除了英语，我也会说日语 (“besides English, I also speak Japanese”), 除了跑步以外，我还喜欢游泳 (“besides running, I also like swimming”). Here 也 or 还 marks the extra thing.

以外 is optional (short form 外), and it changes nothing, it just brackets the 除了 phrase: 除了周末 and 除了周末以外 are the same. So the two moving parts that matter are 除了, which sets the baseline, and the adverb, which decides the meaning. See 都? “Except.” See 也 or 还? “In addition.”

The structure

除了 chúle Other 以外 yǐwài Subject 都 / 也 / 还 dōu / yě / hái Verb

Colour key

Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.

Pattern Subject Verb Object Time Adverb Function word Adjective Connector Measure word Question Other

Examples in context

Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.

Tap a word to see its grammatical role.

chúle 除了 Pattern xīguā 西瓜 Object bié de 别的 Adjective shuǐguǒ 水果 Object wǒ 我 Subject dōu 都 Pattern ài 爱 Verb chī 吃 Verb

Except watermelon, I love eating every other fruit. (“Except” reading, with 都.)

chúle 除了 Pattern zhōumò 周末 Time yǐwài 以外 Pattern wǒ 我 Subject měitiān 每天 Time dōu 都 Pattern shàngbān 上班 Verb

Except on weekends, I go to work every day. (With the optional 以外.)

chúle 除了 Pattern Xiǎo Wáng 小王 Object wǒmen 我们 Subject dōu 都 Pattern dào 到 Verb le 了 Function word

Except for Xiao Wang, we’ve all arrived. (A person left out, with 都.)

chúle 除了 Pattern Yīngyǔ 英语 Object wǒ 我 Subject yě 也 Pattern huì 会 Function word shuō 说 Verb Rìyǔ 日语 Object

Besides English, I can also speak Japanese. (“In addition” reading, with 也.)

chúle 除了 Pattern jiàgé 价格 Object yǐwài 以外 Pattern qítā 其他 Adjective fāngmiàn 方面 Object wǒmen 我们 Subject dōu 都 Pattern hěn 很 Adverb mǎnyì 满意 Adjective

Except for the price, we’re satisfied with every other aspect. (以外 + 其他 … 都.)

chúle 除了 Pattern pǎobù 跑步 Verb yǐwài 以外 Pattern wǒ 我 Subject hái 还 Pattern xǐhuan 喜欢 Verb yóuyǒng 游泳 Verb

Besides running, I also like swimming. (With 还 and the optional 以外.)

chúle 除了 Pattern zhège wèntí 这个问题 Object nǐ 你 Subject hái 还 Pattern yǒu 有 Verb bié de 别的 Adjective xiǎngfǎ 想法 Object ma 吗 Question

Besides this issue, do you have any other thoughts? (还 inside a question.)

chúle 除了 Pattern māo 猫 Object hé 和 Connector gǒu 狗 Object yǐwài 以外 Pattern wǒ 我 Subject hái 还 Pattern yǎng 养 Verb guo 过 Function word yì zhī 一只 Measure word yīngwǔ 鹦鹉 Object

Besides a cat and a dog, I’ve also kept a parrot. (还 + 过, an added past experience.)

Common mistakes

Avoid: 除了他，我们去过。 chúle tā, wǒmen qù guo.

Say this: 除了他，我们都去过。 chúle tā, wǒmen dōu qù guo.

Why it happens: The “except” reading needs 都 in the main clause. 除了他，我们都去过 works; drop the 都 (除了他，我们去过) and the sentence is left dangling. This is the “note the 都!” rule.

Avoid: 除了英语，我都会说法语。 chúle Yīngyǔ, wǒ dōu huì shuō Fǎyǔ.

Say this: 除了英语，我还会说法语。 chúle Yīngyǔ, wǒ hái huì shuō Fǎyǔ.

Why it happens: The adverb sets the meaning: 都 = “except” (leave X out), 也 / 还 = “in addition” (keep X in). If you mean “besides English I also speak French,” it’s 除了英语，我还会说法语, not 都.

Avoid: 除了以外周末，我每天都上班。 chúle yǐwài zhōumò, wǒ měitiān dōu shàngbān.

Say this: 除了周末以外，我每天都上班。 chúle zhōumò yǐwài, wǒ měitiān dōu shàngbān.

Why it happens: 以外 closes the 除了 phrase; it brackets X as 除了 X 以外. It can’t sit in front of X: it’s 除了周末以外, not 除了以外周末.

Compare & contrast

除了…都 = “except” (X is left out)	除了…也 / 还 = “in addition” (X is kept in)	The difference
除了小李，我们都同意。chúle Xiǎo Lǐ, wǒmen dōu tóngyì.	除了小李，我也同意。chúle Xiǎo Lǐ, wǒ yě tóngyì.	除了小李，我们都同意 leaves Xiao Li out (“except Xiao Li, we all agree”). 除了小李，我也同意 keeps him in and adds you (“besides Xiao Li, I agree too”). Same opener, opposite adverb, opposite meaning.
除了这个，别的我都要。chúle zhège, bié de wǒ dōu yào.	除了这个，我还要那个。chúle zhège, wǒ hái yào nàge.	除了这个，别的我都要 excludes this one (“except this, I want all the others”). 除了这个，我还要那个 includes it and adds more (“besides this, I also want that one”). 都 subtracts; 还 adds.

Rule of thumbOne 除了, two opposite meanings, decided by the adverb after the comma. 除了 X…都… leaves X OUT (“except X, all the rest”). 除了 X…也 / 还… keeps X IN (“besides X, also more”). 以外 is optional either way. See 都 → “except”; see 也 / 还 → “in addition.”

Try it yourself

Say “Except on weekends, I work every day.” Use the “except” frame 除了 X，Subj 都 …: 除了周末，我每天都工作。

Related patterns

Quick reference card

How to Say “Except” and “Besides” in Chinese (除了……以外) grammar.merrymandarin.com

A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.

Structure

除了 + Other + 以外 + Subject + 都 / 也 / 还 + Verb

Example

除了西瓜别的水果我都爱吃

Except watermelon, I love eating every other fruit. (“Except” reading, with 都.)

Watch out

✗ 除了他，我们去过。 → ✓ 除了他，我们都去过。