除了...都...
Reach for this when one item is the exception and everything else fits a rule — 'except for X, all the rest Y.' The 除了 phrase names the outlier; 都 sweeps up the rest as a group. It's how Chinese handles 'everyone but,' 'everywhere except,' 'every day except.' Used constantly when you want to point out that one item stands apart from a group that's otherwise uniform.
Structure
除了 [EXCEPTION], [REST] 都 [PREDICATE]
chúle... dōu...
How to Think About It
The 都 in this pattern is what tells you the first item is being EXCLUDED, not added. Without 都, 除了 is ambiguous — it could mean 'besides X' (inclusion) or 'except X' (exclusion). The 都 locks it to exclusion. Compare 除了北京, 我还去过上海 (besides Beijing, also Shanghai = inclusion) with 除了北京, 别的地方我都没去过 (except Beijing, I've been nowhere = exclusion).
Examples
除了周末, 他每天都上班。
Chúle zhōumò, tā měitiān dōu shàngbān.
Except on weekends, he goes to work every day.
除了小王, 大家都来了。
Chúle Xiǎo Wáng, dàjiā dōu lái le.
Except for Xiao Wang, everyone came.
除了香菜, 我什么都吃。
Chúle xiāngcài, wǒ shénme dōu chī.
Except for cilantro, I eat anything.
Common Mistake
Learners forget the 都 and the sentence flips meaning. Without 都, 除了X 还/也 means 'in addition to X,' not 'except X.' The 都 is what makes the exception work.
除了周末, 他每天上班。
除了周末, 他每天都上班。
Don't Confuse With
除了...还/也...
Pairs 除了 with addition: X is included plus more. Use 还/也 to add, 都 to exclude.
只有...才...
只有 sets X as the only thing that fits. 除了...都 sets X as the only thing that doesn't fit. They're mirrors.
除了...以外, ...都...
Optional 以外 makes the structure more formal but doesn't change the meaning. 除了周末以外, 他每天都上班 is the polished written form.
Practice
____周末, 他每天都上班。
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除了
除了小王, 大家____来了。
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都
Arrange: 我 / 除了 / 吃 / 什么 / 香菜 / 都
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除了香菜, 我什么都吃。
Except for the US, the other four 'Five Eyes' countries can all enter China without a visa.
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除了美国, 那个“五只眼睛”里的其他四个国家都可以免签去中国。
Write a sentence using 除了...都... about an exception in your daily routine.
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除了星期天, 我每天都去健身房。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: