Mandarin 除了...以外: Except, or Besides?
By Michael McGettrick and Wee Khang LinUpdated 12 October 2026
(chúle) X (yǐwài) singles X out, but it does not say whether X is left out or added. The second half decides: with (dōu) it means "except", with (hái) or (yě) it means "besides". Until that word arrives, the sentence could go either way.
Quick check
Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.
Pick the right one
0/3都 or 还? The English decides.
除了他以外，我们去了。 (He stayed at home.)
chú le tā yǐ wài ， wǒ men ___ qù le 。 (He stayed at home.)
除了中文以外，他会说英文。 (He speaks both.)
chú le zhōng wén yǐ wài ， tā ___ huì shuō yīng wén 。 (He speaks both.)
除了周末以外，我每天工作。 (Weekends are free.)
chú le zhōu mò yǐ wài ， wǒ měi tiān ___ gōng zuò 。 (Weekends are free.)
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.
之外 (zhīwài) and 除…外 (chú…wài): the formal closers
The frame has a register ladder. The meaning never changes; only the voice does:
- 除了 X chúle: speech
- 除了 X 以外 chúle…yǐwài: anywhere
- 除了 X 之外 chúle…zhīwài: careful writing
- 除 X 外 chú…wài: notices and formal writing
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Chúle zhège wèntí zhīwài, biéde wǒ dōu tóngyì. | Apart from this point, I agree with the rest |
，。 | Chúle tā zhīwài, hái yǒu liǎng ge rén zhīdào. | Besides him, two other people know |
，。 | Chú zhōumò wài, měi tiān dōu kāimén. | Open every day except weekends |
Use (yǐwài) by default and (zhīwài) in an essay or a formal email. Recognise … (chú…wài) on a sign; you will rarely need to say it.
除此之外 (chú cǐ zhīwài): on top of that
Put (cǐ), a written word for "this", in the X slot and you get a sentence opener that points back at what was just said. The same deciders apply:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Chú cǐ zhīwài, wǒmen hái xūyào yìxiē qián. | On top of that, we also need some money |
，。 | Chú cǐ zhīwài, tóngshì yě hěn hǎo. | On top of that, my colleagues are nice too |
，。 | Chú cǐ zhīwài, biéde dōu hěn hǎo. | Apart from that, everything else is fine |
(chú cǐ yǐwài) means the same. Both are at home in essays, where they link two points without repeating the first.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
，。 | ，。 | "except" needs (dōu) |
，。 | ，。 | "besides" needs (hái) or (yě) |
，。 | ，。 | (dōu) goes after the subject |
，。 | ，。 | one closer: (yǐwài) or (zhīwài) |
What to do next
- Do the drill below.
- Say one "except" and one "besides" about your week:
，… and，… (chúle xīngqītiān yǐwài, wǒ měi tiān dōu…; chúle Zhōngwén yǐwài, wǒ hái…). - Then read 连…都/也, the other frame where
(dōu) does the work.