除了...还...
Reach for this when you want to add to a list — 'besides X, also Y.' The 除了 clause names something already known or established; the 还 clause piles on more. It's the most common spoken form of the inclusion pattern, lighter than the full 除了……之外，还…… variant. Used constantly in everyday speech to introduce additional facts, qualities, or activities.
Structure
除了 [ITEM A], [SUBJECT] 还 [ITEM B / VERB PHRASE]
chúle... hái...
How to Think About It
除了 is a switch: pair it with 还/也 and it means 'in addition to'; pair it with 都 and it means 'except for.' The 还 is what locks in the additive reading. Without it the listener doesn't know whether you're including or excluding — same word, opposite meaning.
Examples
除了中文，他还会说日语。
Chúle Zhōngwén, tā hái huì shuō Rìyǔ.
Besides Chinese, he can also speak Japanese.
除了跑步，我还喜欢游泳。
Chúle pǎobù, wǒ hái xǐhuān yóuyǒng.
Besides running, I also like swimming.
除了北京，我还去过上海和广州。
Chúle Běijīng, wǒ hái qù guo Shànghǎi hé Guǎngzhōu.
Besides Beijing, I've also been to Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 还 because English 'besides X, I like Y' doesn't need it. In Chinese, 除了X，我喜欢Y collapses toward 'except for X.' Always pair 除了 with 还 (or 也) when adding.
除了咖啡，我喜欢茶。
除了咖啡，我还喜欢茶。
Don't Confuse With
除了……都……
Same 除了 word, opposite reading. With 都 it means 'except for X, everyone/everything else…'. With 还 it means 'on top of X, also Y.'
除了……之外，还……
Longer, slightly more formal version. Use it in writing or careful speech. The bare 除了……还…… is more conversational.
不但……而且……
Stronger, more emphatic 'not only… but also…'. 除了……还…… is neutral; 不但……而且…… stresses both halves equally.
Practice
Fill in the blank: ____ 苹果，我还买了香蕉。
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除了
Fill in the blank: 除了学习，他 ____ 经常运动。
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还
Arrange into a sentence: 除了 / 还 / 我 / 弹钢琴 / 唱歌 / 喜欢
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除了唱歌，我还喜欢弹钢琴。
Translate to Chinese: Besides tea, I also like to drink coffee.
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除了茶，我还喜欢喝咖啡。
Use 除了……还…… to list two hobbies you enjoy.
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除了看书，我还喜欢看电影。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 除了...还... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.