除了……
Use 除了 when you want to set one item aside from a larger group — either to add to it ('besides X, also Y') or to exclude it ('except X, everyone Y'). Standalone 除了 just opens the sentence; the meaning depends on whether you follow with 还/也 (inclusion) or 都 (exclusion). It's how Chinese handles 'apart from,' 'in addition to,' and 'except for' with one word. Extremely common in everyday speech.
Structure
除了 [ITEM], [REST_OF_CLAUSE]
chúle...
How to Think About It
除了 by itself is ambiguous — it sets an item apart, but doesn't tell you if that item is included or excluded. The second clause decides: 还/也 means 'plus this one too'; 都 means 'everyone except this one.' If you pause after 除了 X without continuing, the listener doesn't know which direction you're going.
Examples
除了苹果, 我还喜欢香蕉。
Chúle píngguǒ, wǒ hái xǐhuan xiāngjiāo.
Besides apples, I also like bananas.
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.
除了中文, 她也会说英文。
Chúle Zhōngwén, tā yě huì shuō Yīngwén.
Besides Chinese, she can also speak English.
Common Mistake
Learners use 除了 and then forget to add the 还/也/都 in the second clause, leaving the sentence hanging. 除了 always needs a second-clause word to resolve which kind of exception you mean.
除了北京, 我去过上海。
除了北京, 我还去过上海。
Don't Confuse With
除了...都...
Use 都 when the item is the exception — everything else fits the rule. Use 还/也 when the item is an addition.
除了...还/也...
Use 还/也 when you're adding the item to a group. 除了北京, 我还去过上海 = 'besides Beijing, I've also been to Shanghai.'
除了...以外
Adding 以外 after the item is optional but more formal. 除了北京以外 reads slightly more written than 除了北京.
Practice
____苹果, 我还喜欢香蕉。
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除了
除了周末, 他每天____上班。
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都
Arrange: 除了 / 也 / 中文 / 英文 / 她 / 会说
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除了中文, 她也会说英文。
Besides patients coming to China, Chinese technology has also gone abroad.
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除了病人来中国, 中国的技术也去了国外。
Write a sentence using 除了...还/也... about your hobbies.
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除了看书, 我也喜欢听音乐。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: