除开 (chú kāi) — except (excluding someone/something); besides (in addition to)

Definition

除开 covers two opposite meanings: 'except for' (excluding) and 'besides' (in addition to). In most contexts 除了 or 除去 are the more standard choices.

preposition
except (excluding someone/something)besides (in addition to)

Examples

  • 除开，。
    chú kāi Nǐ, dà jiā dōu lái le.
    Except for you, everyone else came.
  • 除开，。
    chú kāi Xué xí, tā hái yǒu hěn duō ài hào.
    Besides studying, he has many hobbies.
  • 除开，。
    chú kāi Zhè ge, bié de dōu kě yǐ.
    Except for this one, everything else is fine.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

除chúexclude
开kāiapart

除 means exclude, and 开 suggests apart, giving the sense of setting something aside.

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.

Open 除 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

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