Skip to content
Mythic Mandarin

Besides that: 除了…以外

HSK 4 Unit 2: Not only… but also · Lesson 3 of 5 · About 20 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can include or exclude things with 除了…以外 followed by 还 or 都, and talk about languages and countries.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 幽默 mean?

    1. opposite, on the contrary
    2. humorous
    3. to develop, development
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, humorous.

    幽默 (yōumò) means humorous.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “introverted, shy”?

    1. 比较
    2. 复杂
    3. 内向
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 内向.

    “introverted, shy” is 内向 (nèixiàng).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    低 dī

    1. low
    2. actually, in fact
    3. to dislike, annoying
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, low.

    You heard 低 (dī): low.

New words

  • 除了chúlebesides, except
  • 以外yǐwàiapart from, beyond
  • 另外lìngwàiin addition, other
  • 世界shìjièworld
  • 国家guójiācountry
  • 语言yǔyánlanguage

Two meanings of 除了…以外

除了 (chúle) A 以外 (yǐwài) has two meanings, decided by what follows. With 还 or 也, it means besides A, also. With 都, it means except A, everyone or everything.

  • 除了汉语以外，我还会说法语。

    Chúle Hànyǔ yǐwài, wǒ hái huì shuō Fǎyǔ.

    Besides Chinese, I also speak French.

  • 除了小王以外，大家都来了。

    Chúle Xiǎo Wáng yǐwài, dàjiā dōu lái le.

    Everyone came except Xiao Wang.

  • Not: 除了他以外，我们还没去。

    But: 除了他以外，我们都没去。 Chúle tā yǐwài, wǒmen dōu méi qù.

    Except: use 都.

以外 can be left out. 另外 (lìngwài) is in addition, another.

  • 另外，我还想问一个问题。

    Lìngwài, wǒ hái xiǎng wèn yí gè wèntí.

    In addition, I'd like to ask another question.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

How many languages?

Zhang Wei is amazed by Sophie's languages.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

Helpful words: 法语 Fǎyǔ French (language); 西班牙语 Xībānyáyǔ Spanish (language); 非洲 Fēizhōu Africa; 大洲 dàzhōu continent

  1. Listening

    Listen first. Which languages does Sophie speak besides French?

    1. only English and a little German
    2. English, Spanish and a little Chinese
    3. German, English and some Japanese
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, English, Spanish and a little Chinese.

    我还会说英语、西班牙语和一点儿汉语.

  2. Listening

    Which continent hasn't she been to?

    1. Asia
    2. Africa
    3. America
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, Africa.

    除了非洲以外，…我都去过.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 张伟

    苏菲Sūfēi，除了chúle法语Fǎyǔ以外yǐwài，你nǐ还hái会huì说shuō什么shénme语言yǔyán？

    Sophie, besides French, what other languages do you speak?

  2. 苏菲

    除了Chúle法语Fǎyǔ以外yǐwài，我wǒ还hái会huì说shuō英语Yīngyǔ、西班牙语Xībānyáyǔ和hé一点儿yìdiǎnr汉语Hànyǔ。

    Besides French, I speak English, Spanish and a little Chinese.

  3. 张伟

    太Tài厉害lìhai了le！你Nǐ去qù过guo多少duōshao个gè国家guójiā？

    Amazing! How many countries have you been to?

  4. 苏菲

    二十Èrshí多duō个gè。除了Chúle非洲Fēizhōu以外yǐwài，世界shìjiè上shàng的de大洲dàzhōu我wǒ都dōu去qù过guo。

    Over twenty. I've been to every continent except Africa.

  5. 张伟

    另外Lìngwài，你nǐ还hái有yǒu什么shénme爱好àihào？

    And what other hobbies do you have?

  6. 苏菲

    我Wǒ还hái喜欢xǐhuan拍照pāizhào片piàn和hé写xiě书法shūfǎ。

    I also like taking photos and doing calligraphy.

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 苏菲，除了法语以外，你还会说什么语言？

    Sūfēi, chúle Fǎyǔ yǐwài, nǐ hái huì shuō shénme yǔyán?

    Sophie, besides French, what other languages do you speak?

  • 二十多个。除了非洲以外，世界上的大洲我都去过。

    Èrshí duō gè. Chúle Fēizhōu yǐwài, shìjiè shàng de dàzhōu wǒ dōu qù guo.

    Over twenty. I've been to every continent except Africa.

  • 除了法语以外，我还会说英语、西班牙语和一点儿汉语。

    Chúle Fǎyǔ yǐwài, wǒ hái huì shuō Yīngyǔ, Xībānyáyǔ hé yìdiǎnr Hànyǔ.

    Besides French, I speak English, Spanish and a little Chinese.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 除了 mean?

    1. besides, except
    2. to dance
    3. every day
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, besides, except.

    除了 (chúle) means besides, except.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “apart from, beyond”?

    1. 国家
    2. 以外
    3. 除了
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 以外.

    “apart from, beyond” is 以外 (yǐwài).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 另外 (in addition, other)?

    1. lìngwái
    2. līngwài
    3. lìngwài
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, lìngwài.

    另外 is read lìngwài. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    世界 shìjiè

    1. company
    2. interview, to interview
    3. world
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, world.

    You heard 世界 (shìjiè): world.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “country” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 国家

    “country” is 国家 (guójiā).

  6. Grammar

    Which sentence means Everyone came except him?

    1. 除了他以外，大家都来了。
    2. 除了他以外，大家还来了。
    3. 除了他以外，大家也来了。
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 除了他以外，大家都来了。.

    除了他以外，大家都来了。: 除了…以外，都: except.

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: Besides tea, I also like coffee.

    除了茶以外，我＿＿喜欢咖啡。

    1. 还
    2. 都
    3. 不
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 还.

    除了…以外，还: besides, also.

  8. In context

    You want to add one more point at the end of a meeting. What do you say?

    1. 另外，我还想说一件事。
    2. 除了，我还想说一件事。
    3. 以外，我还想说一件事。
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 另外，我还想说一件事。.

    另外，我还想说一件事。: 另外: in addition.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for language

    Show the answer

    Answer: 语言

    语言: language.

Besides and except

Talk out loud about your languages, travels and hobbies with 除了…以外.

  1. Languages you speak besides your first one, with 还.
  2. Places or foods you like, except one, with 都.
  3. Add one more fact with 另外.

Sentence frames

  • 除了＿＿以外，我还＿＿。

    Chúle ＿＿ yǐwài, wǒ hái ＿＿.

    Besides ..., I also ...

  • 除了＿＿以外，我都＿＿。

    Chúle ＿＿ yǐwài, wǒ dōu ＿＿.

    Except for ..., I ... all ...

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I know 除了…以外 + 还 means besides, + 都 means except.
  • I can use 另外 for in addition.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: Not even time to eat: 连…都