除了... (以外)，...也/还...
Reach for 除了...也/还... when you want to add one item on top of another — 'besides X, also Y.' Both items are included; the first one is taken for granted, the second is the newer information being highlighted. The optional 以外 (or 之外) rounds out the phrase but can be dropped in speech. 也 and 还 are interchangeable in the second half: 也 leans 'in addition' and 还 leans 'on top of that.' Use this for listing extras — destinations visited, dishes ordered, languages spoken.
Structure
除了 [ITEM A] (以外)，[SUBJECT] 也/还 [VERB PHRASE]
chúle... (yǐwài), ... yě/hái...
How to Think About It
除了 here means INCLUDING — both items are in. The first item gets named, then 也/还 in the second clause says 'AND there's this one too.' The subject of the second clause usually matches the first; if it doesn't, mention it explicitly. Watch the comma: 除了-phrase opens the sentence and is set off by a comma, the 也/还 sits before the verb on the other side. Skipping the 也/还 in the second clause is the single most common mistake.
Examples
除了英语，我还会说一点中文。
Chúle Yīngyǔ, wǒ hái huì shuō yìdiǎn Zhōngwén.
Besides English, I can also speak a little Chinese.
除了北京以外，我也去过上海。
Chúle Běijīng yǐwài, wǒ yě qù guo Shànghǎi.
Besides Beijing, I've also been to Shanghai.
除了写作业，他还要练琴。
Chúle xiě zuòyè, tā hái yào liàn qín.
Besides doing homework, he also has to practice piano.
Common Mistake
Learners drop the 也 or 还 in the second clause, copying English 'besides X, I have Y.' Chinese requires the echo word to bind the two halves together — without it, the sentence sounds like two unrelated thoughts.
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 除了...都... when the first item is EXCLUDED ('all except X'). Same 除了, opposite meaning — the 都 instead of 也/还 flips the sense from 'including' to 'excluding.'
不仅...还...
Use 不仅...还... to add a parallel new claim about the same subject. 除了...还... treats the first item as already known and just stacks a second on top.
和 / 还有
Use 和 or 还有 for simple lists of nouns. 除了...还... is sentence-level — it adds a whole new action or fact, not just another noun in a list.
Practice
Fill in the blank: ___ 米饭，我还喜欢吃面条。
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除了
Fill in the blank: 除了周末，他平时 ___ 工作。
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也
Arrange: 除了 / 我 / 工作 / 还 / 看书 / 喜欢
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除了工作，我还喜欢看书。
Translate: Besides coffee, she also drinks tea.
Show answer
除了咖啡，她还喝茶。
Write about your hobbies using 除了...还...
Show answer
除了打篮球，我还喜欢游泳。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 3 Fluentide episodes. Press play to hear the sentence:
除了手术本身，费用的问题也是大家关心的。
Besides the surgery itself, the issue of cost was also something everyone was concerned about.
Mongolian Baby Saved at Shanghai Renji HospitalIntermediate
除了钱的问题，申请的难度也变大了。
Besides the money issue, the difficulty of applying has also increased.
US Tech Firms Shift Jobs to IndiaIntermediate
除了工作，他的家也很好。
Besides work, his family life is also very good.
Team USA Seeks Hockey Gold at Milan OlympicsElementary
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 除了... (以外)，...也/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.