除了...以外 Word Order in Chinese
除了…（以外）…
除了...以外... frames one item against the rest of a set. 还 commonly adds another item or action. 也 can add one, but it also occurs in universal negatives such as 别的...也没... after an exception, so read the full continuation. 以外 may be omitted, and the phrase may precede or follow the subject.
Published July 16, 2026
Reviewed July 16, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
除了 + Item, Subject + 还/也/都 + Predicate
Read the structure
除了...以外... frames one item against the rest of a set. 还 commonly adds another item or action. 也 can add one, but it also occurs in universal negatives such as 别的...也没... after an exception, so read the full continuation. 以外 may be omitted, and the phrase may precede or follow the subject. Keep the model 除了 + Item, Subject + 还/也/都 + Predicate visible while you compare each sentence.
除了中文以外，我还学习英文。
Besides Chinese, I also study English.
Choose the right context
To add another item or action, commonly with 还: 除了中文以外，我还学习英文。 To add a parallel person or thing with 也: 除了哥哥会唱歌以外，姐姐也会唱歌。 To exclude one item, then describe the remainder with 都 or a universal negative containing 也: 除了我以外，大家都去了 / 除了这本书，别的我也没看。
除了我以外，大家都去了。
Everyone went except me.
Respect the boundary
Do not put 以外 before the item; 除了 and 以外 normally surround the item: 除了中文以外. Do not place 还, 也, or 都 before the subject it modifies; use 大家都去了, not 都大家去了. Do not mark a sentence wrong merely because 以外 is absent or because it uses 外 or 之外; all are established variants.
除了以外中文，我还学习英文。
(Besides Chinese, I also study English.)
Repair the pattern
以外 placed before the item: The item being added or excluded belongs between 除了 and 以外. Keep the frame together as 除了 + 中文 + 以外. 都 placed before the main-clause subject: 大家 is the subject and 都 modifies the predicate 去了. Put the order as subject + 都 + predicate: 大家都去了.
除了中文以外，我还学习英文。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
除了中文以外，我还学习英文。
Besides Chinese, I also study English.
除了
除了
This part occupies the 除了 position in the model pattern.
中文
Item, Subject
This part occupies the Item, Subject position in the model pattern.
以外
还/也/都
This part occupies the 还/也/都 position in the model pattern.
，
Predicate
This part occupies the Predicate position in the model pattern.
我还
除了
This part occupies the 除了 position in the model pattern.
学习
Item, Subject
This part occupies the Item, Subject position in the model pattern.
英文
还/也/都
This part occupies the 还/也/都 position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
除了中文以外，我还学习英文。
Besides Chinese, I also study English.
除了我以外，大家都去了。
Everyone went except me.
除了星期天以外，他每天都上课。
He attends class every day except Sunday.
除了看书，我还喜欢看电影。
Besides reading, I also like watching movies.
除了哥哥会唱歌以外，姐姐也会唱歌。
Besides my older brother, my older sister can sing too.
我除了水以外，还买了茶。
Besides water, I also bought tea.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- To add another item or action, commonly with 还: 除了中文以外，我还学习英文。
- To add a parallel person or thing with 也: 除了哥哥会唱歌以外，姐姐也会唱歌。
- To exclude one item, then describe the remainder with 都 or a universal negative containing 也: 除了我以外，大家都去了 / 除了这本书，别的我也没看。
Do not use it when
- Do not put 以外 before the item; 除了 and 以外 normally surround the item: 除了中文以外.
- Do not place 还, 也, or 都 before the subject it modifies; use 大家都去了, not 都大家去了.
- Do not mark a sentence wrong merely because 以外 is absent or because it uses 外 or 之外; all are established variants.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
除了以外中文，我还学习英文。
除了中文以外，我还学习英文。
以外 placed before the item
The item being added or excluded belongs between 除了 and 以外. Keep the frame together as 除了 + 中文 + 以外.
除了我以外，都大家去了。
除了我以外，大家都去了。
都 placed before the main-clause subject
大家 is the subject and 都 modifies the predicate 去了. Put the order as subject + 都 + predicate: 大家都去了.
除了以外中文，我还学习英文。
Put the item between 除了 and 以外: 除了中文以外，我还学习英文。
除了我以外，都大家去了。
Put the subject before 都: 除了我以外，大家都去了。
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 除了…（以外）….
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 除了…（以外）…. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
除了...以外 Word Order Questions
Does 除了...以外 mean 'besides' or 'except'?
It can express either relation. 还 commonly adds another item, while 也 may add a parallel item or enter a universal negative such as 别的我也没看 after an exception. 都 commonly describes the remaining group, so the full continuation determines the meaning.
Can 以外 be omitted after 除了?
Yes. 除了看书，我还喜欢看电影 is complete, and 外 or 之外 can also close the phrase. Do not treat the absence of 以外 as an error.
Where can the 除了 phrase appear?
It may come before the subject, as in 除了中文以外，我还学习英文, or after a continuing subject, as in 我除了中文以外，还学习英文.
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: Construction index and function chapters relevant to 除了…（以外）…
Supports the learner-facing account of where 除了…（以外）… appears and what communicative job it performs.
Official sourceChinese: A Comprehensive Grammar, 2nd ed.
Yip and Rimmington · Routledge · 2016
Locator: Relevant sentence and clause chapters for 除了…（以外）…
Cross-checks the 除了 + Item, Subject + 还/也/都 + Predicate pattern, clause relationship, and limits represented by the reviewed examples.
Official sourceChinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: Appendix A, Level 3 grammar inventory
Supports directory placement at HSK 3; it does not independently prove usage rules.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Easy to confuse
除此之外除此之外 (chúcǐ zhīwài)
Compare naming an item inside the frame with referring back to a whole prior matter.
Compare
不仅/不光…还/而且…不仅...而且... (bùjǐn...érqiě)
Compare set addition with an explicitly escalating second proposition.
Compare
此外此外 as a Discourse Addition
Compare adding beyond X with directly adding another proposition.
Easy to confuse
除 + X + 以外除 + X + 以外 for Exclusion or Addition
Compare common 除了 with concise formal 除 inside the same bracketed construction.
RECOMMENDED NEXT
Compare
Compare set addition with an explicitly escalating second proposition.