除外 (chú wài) — to exclude; to be excepted (from a list or set) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

除外 marks an exception after a general statement ('all X, A除外' = 'all X except A'). It states who/what is excluded, whereas 排除 and 排斥 describe the act of removing or rejecting something actively.

verb

to excludeto be excepted (from a list or set)

Examples

，除外。
Suǒ yǒu duì yuán dōu dào le, duì zhǎng chú wài.
All team members have arrived, except the captain.
，除外。
Zhè xiē guī dìng shì yòng yú quán tǐ yuán gōng, shí xí shēng chú wài.
These regulations apply to all employees, with the exception of interns.
，除外。
Suǒ yǒu shū jí dōu néng jiè yuè, cān kǎo shū chú wài.
All books can be borrowed, except reference books.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

外wàioutside

除 remove and 外 outside combine to mean put outside the list, i.e. exclude.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阜阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

余

余yú除chú

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

除 is built from 阜 and 余, with 余 giving the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

月

月yuè外wài

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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