除咗...之外

The structure 除咗...之外 (ceoi4 zo2... zi1 ngoi6) is the standard way to mark an exception ('except for') or an addition ('besides / in addition to').

1. The Frame:
The first part 除咗 (ceoi4 zo2) comes before the item (which can be a noun, pronoun, verb phrase, or adjective), and 之外 (zi1 ngoi6) comes after it. You can also use 以外 (ji5 ngoi6) instead of 之外, though 之外 is vastly more common in everyday spoken Cantonese, whereas 以外 sounds slightly more formal or influenced by Standard Written Chinese. 除咗 is the mandatory anchor of this grammar pattern, whereas the closing parts 之外 or 以外 are optional framing elements. In casual speech, the closing part is often dropped entirely, or followed by particles like 呀 (aa3) or 呢 (ne1) to soften the tone. Note that the placement of the subject depends on what is being excluded. If the exception applies to the action or object, the subject can come at the very beginning or right after the first clause (e.g., 我除咗... or 除咗...我...). However, if the exception applies to the subject itself, the main subject must come after the first clause (e.g., 除咗佢之外，我都去).

2. Inclusive Meaning ('Besides'):
When you want to say 'In addition to X, there is also Y', you typically use the adverb 仲 (zung6 - also/still), 亦都 (jik6 dou1 - also), or 又 (jau6) in the second clause. This is very frequently reinforced by adding the particle 添 (tim1) at the end of the sentence for actions, objects, or new information. When the subject itself is what is being added, 都 (dou1 - also) is heavily used (e.g., 除咗佢之外，我都去 - Besides him, I will also go). While this covers 'besides', if you specifically want to say 'not only', you would use 唔單止 (m4 daan1 zi2).
Example: 除咗蘋果之外，我仲想買橙添。(Besides apples, I also want to buy oranges.)

3. Exclusive Meaning ('Except for all'):
When you want to say 'Everyone/everything except X', you use absolute pronouns (like 個個, 其他人, 其他嘢) paired with the adverb 都 (dou1 - all/even) in the second clause.
Example: 除咗佢之外，個個都去咗。(Except for him, everyone went.)

4. Negative Exclusive Meaning ('Nobody/nothing except'):
When saying 'Nobody/nothing except X', native speakers typically use phrases like 冇人 (mou5 jan4 - nobody), 其他人都冇 (kei4 taa1 jan4 dou1 mou5 - nobody else), or negative absolute phrases like 咩都唔/冇 (me1 dou1 m4/mou5 - nothing) and 一個都冇 (jat1 go3 dou1 mou5 - not even one). You can also use the linking word 就 (zau6 - then/simply) right before the negative.
Example: 除咗佢之外，其他人都冇去。(Except for him, nobody else went.) or 除咗佢之外，就冇人去。(Except for him, nobody went.)
Example: 我除咗洋蔥之外咩都唔食。(I don't eat anything except onions.)

5. 'Only' Exclusive Meaning ('Except for X, only Y'):
To say 'Except for X, [subject] ONLY does Y', you frequently use the linking word 就 (zau6) right before restrictive words like 淨係 (zing6 hai6 - only) without 都.
Example: 除咗返工之外，佢就淨係識打機。(Besides working, he only knows how to play video games.)

6. Usage with Verbs:
This pattern isn't just for nouns. You can place a verb phrase inside the frame to say 'Apart from [doing something]...'.
Example: 佢除咗返工之外，冇咩嗜好。(Apart from working, he doesn't have many hobbies.)

7. Watch Out: Literal Meaning of 除咗:
Be careful not to confuse this grammar pattern with the literal verb phrase 除咗 (ceoi4 zo2), which means 'took off' (e.g., clothes, glasses, shoes). For example, 佢除咗件衫 means 'He took off his shirt', not 'Except for his shirt'.