除了……之外，还/也……
Reach for this when you want to add to a list — 'besides X, also Y.' The 除了 clause names something already true or obvious; 还/也 then piles more on. It's the standard inclusion connector, more deliberate than just stacking nouns with 和, and used heavily in writing and explanation. 之外 is the slightly more formal full form; in speech people often drop it and say 除了 X 还/也 Y.
Structure
除了 [ITEM A] 之外, [SUBJECT] 还/也 [ITEM B / VERB PHRASE]
chúle... zhīwài, hái/yě...
How to Think About It
除了 in this inclusive sense means 'on top of,' not 'except.' The same word does double duty in Chinese — pair it with 还/也 and it adds; pair it with 都 and it excludes. The 还/也 is what tells the listener you're stacking, not subtracting.
Examples
除了中文之外，他还会说英文和法文。
Chúle Zhōngwén zhīwài, tā hái huì shuō Yīngwén hé Fǎwén.
Besides Chinese, he also speaks English and French.
除了周末之外，他平时也常常运动。
Chúle zhōumò zhīwài, tā píngshí yě chángcháng yùndòng.
Besides weekends, he also often exercises on weekdays.
除了价格便宜之外，这款手机还很好用。
Chúle jiàgé piányí zhīwài, zhè kuǎn shǒujī hái hěn hǎoyòng.
Besides being cheap, this phone is also easy to use.
Common Mistake
Learners drop the 还 or 也, leaving a bare 除了 clause. Without 还/也, the sentence flips meaning to 'except' — the listener now hears exclusion instead of addition.
除了苹果之外，我喜欢香蕉。
除了苹果之外，我还喜欢香蕉。
Don't Confuse With
除了……都……
Same 除了 word, opposite meaning. Pair it with 都 to mean 'except for X, all the rest…'. Pair with 还/也 for inclusion.
不但……而且……
不但……而且…… is stronger and emphatic ('not only… but also…'). 除了……还…… is neutral list-building.
和 / 跟
Use 和/跟 to simply link nouns. Use 除了……还…… when one item is the given/known one and you want to flag that you're adding more.
Practice
Fill in the blank: ____ 学中文之外，她还学日语。
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除了
Fill in the blank: 除了喝咖啡之外，我 ____ 喜欢喝茶。
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还
Arrange into a sentence: 除了 / 之外 / 他 / 篮球 / 还 / 踢 / 足球 / 打
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除了打篮球之外，他还踢足球。
Translate to Chinese: Besides going to school, she also works part-time.
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除了上学之外，她还做兼职。
Write a sentence using 除了……之外，还…… to describe two things you like to do on weekends.
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除了看电影之外，我周末还喜欢爬山。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: