除了……还/也……
Reach for 除了...还/也... when one thing has already been mentioned and you want to add more on top — 'besides X, there's also Y.' 'In addition to Mandarin, she also speaks Cantonese.' 'Apart from Beijing, I've also been to Xi'an.' The 除了 clause names what's already established or assumed; 还/也 in the second clause adds the new item. This is the everyday 'in addition to' pattern.
Structure
除了 [ITEM A] (以外/之外), [SUBJECT] 还/也 [ITEM B / ACTION B]
chúle... hái/yě...
How to Think About It
除了 has TWO opposite meanings depending on what follows: with 还/也 → INCLUSIVE ('besides X, also Y' — X counts too). With 都/没 → EXCLUSIVE ('except X, all/none' — X is set aside). The pair word is the disambiguator. With 还/也, X stays in the picture. With 都, X is excluded. Get this wrong and the meaning flips completely.
Examples
除了中文, 她还会说日语。
Chúle Zhōngwén, tā hái huì shuō Rìyǔ.
Besides Chinese, she also speaks Japanese.
除了北京, 我也去过上海。
Chúle Běijīng, wǒ yě qù guo Shànghǎi.
Aside from Beijing, I've also been to Shanghai.
除了上班, 他周末还要做兼职。
Chúle shàngbān, tā zhōumò hái yào zuò jiānzhí.
On top of his job, he also works part-time on weekends.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 还/也, leaving 除了 to do the work alone. Without the pair word, listeners default to the exclusive reading ('except X') — exactly the opposite of what was intended.
除了米饭, 我吃面条。
除了米饭, 我还吃面条。
Don't Confuse With
除了……都……
Same opener, opposite logic. With 都 it means 'except X, ALL of them' — X is excluded from the group. '除了他, 我们都来了' = everyone came except him.
不仅……也/还……
不仅 puts both items in equal focus ('not only X but also Y' — both stand out). 除了...还... treats X as old news and Y as the addition. Pick 不仅 when both items are praiseworthy; 除了 when you're just adding more.
另外
另外 stands at the start of a new sentence to add a separate point ('Additionally, ...'). 除了 stays inside one sentence and binds the two items together explicitly.
Practice
除了苹果, 我 ___ 喜欢香蕉。
Show answer
也
___ 学习, 他还参加了很多社团活动。
Show answer
除了
Put in order: [除了 / 也 / 茶 / 我 / 喜欢 / 咖啡]
Show answer
除了茶, 我也喜欢咖啡。
Translate to Chinese: 'Besides reading, he also enjoys writing.'
Show answer
除了看书, 他还喜欢写作。
Name two things you like or do, using 除了...还/也...
Show answer
Example answer: 除了跑步, 我还喜欢游泳。 (Besides running, I also enjoy swimming.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode. Press play to hear the sentence:
除了打功夫，这些机器人还会做很多高难度的动作。
Besides doing kung fu, these robots can also perform many high-difficulty movements.
Unitree Robots Star in CCTV Spring Festival GalaIntermediate
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 除了……还/也…… 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.