Ch 29 · Lesson 16Mandarin · Chapter 29 · Lesson 16 · Grammar primer
除了...以外: except, or besides?
The same opening means except with (，) and besides with or (，). can drop.
The short version
，。Chúle tā yǐwài, dàjiā dōu lái le.
Why?Hide
(chúle) X (yǐwài) does not say whether X is in or out: the second half decides. With (dōu), 'all of them', X is left out, because it was held up apart from the rest.
，。Chúle Zhōngwén yǐwài, tā hái huì shuō Yīngwén.
Why?Hide
With (hái), on top of that, or (yě), too, in the second half, the thing after (chúle) stays in and something else joins it. Both words go after the subject and before the verb.
The whole system on one screen
The colours stay the same all page long:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Chúle tā yǐwài, dàjiā dōu lái le. | Everyone came except him |
，。 | Chúle Zhōngwén yǐwài, tā hái huì shuō Yīngwén. | Besides Chinese, he speaks English |
，。 | Chúle tā yǐwài, wǒmen yě qǐng le lǎoshī. | Besides him, we invited the teacher too |
The first and last rows open with the same five characters. In the first he did not come; in the last he was invited. … (chúle…yǐwài) is on the AQA GCSE Chinese specification at Higher tier.
都 (dōu): except, X is left out
(dōu) says "all of them", so X, held up separately, cannot be one of them. That gives "except":
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Chúle tā yǐwài, biérén dōu bù zhīdào. | Nobody knows except him |
，。 | Chúle zhōumò yǐwài, wǒ měi tiān dōu gōngzuò. | I work every day except weekends |
，。 | Chúle zhè běn shū yǐwài, biéde shū wǒ dōu kàn guo. | I've read every book except this one |
A word that means "nobody" or "nothing" excludes in the same way, with no (dōu): ，。 (Chúle tā yǐwài, méiyǒu rén zhīdào.), nobody knows except him.
还 (hái) or 也 (yě): besides, X is added
(hái) means "on top of that" and (yě) "too", so X stays in and something else joins it. That gives "besides":
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Chúle yīnyuè yǐwài, wǒ yě xǐhuan diànyǐng. | Besides music, I like films too |
，。 | Chúle gōngzuò yǐwài, tā hái yào xué Zhōngwén. | On top of work, he has to study Chinese |
。 | Tā chúle Zhōngwén yǐwài hái huì shuō Yīngwén. | Besides Chinese, he speaks English |
When both halves share a subject, it can come first, as in the last row. Either way, (dōu), (hái) and (yě) sit after the subject and before the verb.
以外 (yǐwài) is optional
In speech the closer often drops, and nothing changes:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Chúle tā, dàjiā dōu lái le. | Everyone came except him |
，。 | Chúle Zhōngwén, tā hái huì shuō Yīngwén. | Besides Chinese, he speaks English |
Keep (yǐwài) when X is long, so the listener hears where it ends: ，。 (Chúle nǐ zuótiān shuō de nàge wèntí yǐwài, biéde wǒ dōu tóngyì.), apart from the problem you raised yesterday, I agree with everything else.
Going further: 之外 (zhīwài) and 除…外 (chú…wài): the formal closers and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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