Except in Different Languages
Discover 'Except' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'except' is a small but powerful part of the English language, often used to denote exclusion or specify a difference. Its significance extends beyond grammar, as it can also indicate permission or exemption in various contexts. For example, you might say 'Everyone is invited to the party, except John' or 'I can eat everything except dairy products'.
Throughout history, 'except' has played a crucial role in legal, academic, and everyday conversations. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, where it serves as a literary device to create suspense or emphasize a point. Take Shakespeare's famous line from 'Romeo and Juliet': 'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet', where 'any other' is synonymous with 'except'.
As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, understanding the translation of 'except' in different languages can help bridge cultural gaps. For instance, in Spanish, 'except' translates to 'excepto', while in French, it becomes 'sauf'. In German, 'except' is 'außer', and in Mandarin Chinese, it is '但是' (dàn shì).
Join us as we explore the many translations of 'except', shedding light on the fascinating nuances of this versatile word and the cultures it represents.
Except
Except in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | behalwe | ||
| The word 'behalwe' has the same Indo-European root as 'by' ('be' + 'halwe' means 'by half'). | |||
| Amharic | በስተቀር | ||
| The word 'በስተቀር' literally means 'on the other side' or 'apart from', emphasizing the exclusionary nature of its meaning. | |||
| Hausa | sai dai | ||
| "Sai dai" literally means "only that" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ewezuga | ||
| In Igbo, "ewezuga" also means "to be alone". It is related to the words "ewe" (alone) and "zuga" (to stay). | |||
| Malagasy | afa-tsy | ||
| The Malagasy word "afa-tsy" can also mean "without" or "in the absence of". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kupatula | ||
| The word "kupatula" can also mean "to make an exception" or "to omit" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | kunze | ||
| In Ndebele, "kunze" additionally denotes a negative result as in "kunze umuntu" (there is no person). | |||
| Somali | marka laga reebo | ||
| The word "marka laga reebo" in Somali literally translates to "when it is removed" or "when it is done away with". | |||
| Sesotho | ntle le | ||
| The word "ntle le" is composed of two words: "ntle" (only) and "le" (and). | |||
| Swahili | isipokuwa | ||
| The word "isipokuwa" in Swahili also means "apart from" or "other than." | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphandle | ||
| "Ngaphandle" is derived from the verb "ukuphela," meaning "to come to an end" or "to finish." | |||
| Yoruba | ayafi | ||
| The word "ayafi" in Yoruba also means "except for" or "excluding". | |||
| Zulu | ngaphandle | ||
| "Ngaphandle" in Zulu derives from the Proto-Bantu root "-pa" meaning "to pass or go beyond," implying passing or going beyond something excluded. | |||
| Bambara | fɔ | ||
| Ewe | ɖe ko | ||
| Kinyarwanda | usibye | ||
| Lingala | longola | ||
| Luganda | okujjako | ||
| Sepedi | ntle le | ||
| Twi (Akan) | gye sɛ | ||
Except in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | إلا | ||
| The word "إلا" can also mean "rather" or "but" in certain contexts. | |||
| Hebrew | מלבד | ||
| The Hebrew term "מלבד" originated from the root words "לבד" (separate) and "מ" (from), indicating separation or exclusion from something else. | |||
| Pashto | پرته | ||
| The word "پرته" in Pashto stems from the Proto-Indo-Iranian root "*para-," meaning "forth, away, beyond" | |||
| Arabic | إلا | ||
| The word "إلا" can also mean "rather" or "but" in certain contexts. | |||
Except in Western European Languages
| Albanian | përveç | ||
| Përveç literally means "outside" and can also carry meanings like "excluding","except for" | |||
| Basque | izan ezik | ||
| The second element of the Basque word "izan ezik", "ezik", also means "silent", "mute" or "quiet" | |||
| Catalan | excepte | ||
| The Catalan word "excepte" is derived from the Latin "excipere", which can also mean "take up", "accept", or "catch". | |||
| Croatian | osim | ||
| The Croatian word "osim" derives from the Old Church Slavonic "osimu", meaning "other" or "another". | |||
| Danish | undtagen | ||
| The word "undtagen" in Danish is derived from the Old Norse word "undatagen," meaning "not taken." | |||
| Dutch | behalve | ||
| In Dutch, the word "behalve" can also refer to the act of saving or sheltering something. | |||
| English | except | ||
| The word "except" comes from the Latin word "excipere", which means "to take out or away". | |||
| French | sauf | ||
| Old French sauf derives from Latin salvus meaning 'safe' or 'whole', hence the term's occasional use in the sense of 'apart from', 'not including'. | |||
| Frisian | útsein | ||
| The word "útsein" in Frisian can also mean "outside" or "beyond" and comes from the Old Frisian word "ūtsin" with the same meaning. | |||
| Galician | agás | ||
| The word "agás" in Galician is derived from the Latin "ad casum" meaning "in case". | |||
| German | außer | ||
| The word "außer" likely stems from the Middle High German word "ûzer" and also means "out of" or "over". | |||
| Icelandic | nema | ||
| In Icelandic, "nema" can also mean "to have" or "to take". | |||
| Irish | seachas | ||
| The word "seachas" in Irish is cognate with the Latin "semper" meaning "always" and can also mean "except" in some contexts. | |||
| Italian | tranne | ||
| "Tranne" ultimately derives from the Latin phrase "trans annum" ("across the year"), originally used to exempt something from a yearly cycle. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ausser | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "ausser" is derived from German "ausser", which also means "outside" or "beyond". | |||
| Maltese | ħlief | ||
| Ħlief can also mean 'only' or 'alone' in certain contexts. | |||
| Norwegian | unntatt | ||
| «Unntatt» comes from «unn», cognate with the English word «out» and the German «aus», and «ta», cognate with «take», and is closely related to «untenable» and «untoward». | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | exceto | ||
| The Portuguese word "exceto" is derived from the Latin word "exceptus," which means "taken out." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ach a-mhàin | ||
| The Gaelic word 'ach a-mhàin' can also be used to mean 'but' or 'however'. | |||
| Spanish | excepto | ||
| Excepto, meaning “except,” comes from the Latin word excipere, which means to seize, take, or receive. | |||
| Swedish | bortsett från | ||
| "Bortsett från" is literally "carried away from" in Swedish and can be used to mean "omitting" or "leaving out of consideration". | |||
| Welsh | heblaw | ||
| The word “heblaw” can also mean “apart from” or “other than” in Welsh. | |||
Except in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | акрамя | ||
| The word “акрамя” originally meant “apart from”, and the modern meaning of the word “except” (in contrast to “кроме” for “apart from”) was only attested from the 19th century. | |||
| Bosnian | osim | ||
| "Osim" comes from the Old Slavic word "o(б)ь" meaning "at". | |||
| Bulgarian | с изключение | ||
| The phrase "с изключение на" (except) is used to exclude something from a larger group or statement. | |||
| Czech | až na | ||
| The word "až na" can also mean "in spite of" or "despite" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | välja arvatud | ||
| "Välja arvatud" is a cognate to the verb "välja arvama" which means to exclude or to leave out. | |||
| Finnish | paitsi | ||
| "Paitsi" can also mean "offside" in ice hockey or football, or "besides" in the sense of "in addition to". | |||
| Hungarian | kivéve | ||
| The word "kivéve" comes from the Hungarian verb "kivédeni", which means "to defend", "to ward off". | |||
| Latvian | izņemot | ||
| The word "izņemot" is derived from the verb "ņemt" (to take) and the prefix "iz-" (out, away), meaning "to take out, to exclude" | |||
| Lithuanian | išskyrus | ||
| Išskyrus can mean both "except" and "except for" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | освен | ||
| This word's etymology suggests that it means 'to cut off,' and it can also mean 'besides' in some contexts. | |||
| Polish | z wyjątkiem | ||
| In Polish, "z wyjątkiem" can also mean "with the exception of". | |||
| Romanian | cu exceptia | ||
| "Cu exceptia" is the Romanian translation of "except", but it can also be used in the sense of "excluding", "without", or "other than". | |||
| Russian | кроме | ||
| Кроме (krome) in Russian also means "beyond" or "in addition." | |||
| Serbian | осим | ||
| The word "осим" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "осѣмь" meaning "eight" and also has the meaning of "apart from". | |||
| Slovak | okrem | ||
| Okrem can occasionally be used as a noun meaning "remainder" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | razen | ||
| The word "razen" can also mean "beyond" or "moreover" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | крім | ||
| The word "крім" is derived from Slavic **kormiti** which also means "feeding, providing". | |||
Except in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাদে | ||
| The word "বাদে" (bade) can also be a conjunction that means "besides" or "in addition to." | |||
| Gujarati | સિવાય | ||
| The word "સિવાય" is derived from the Gujarati word "સિવ", which also means "apart". In some contexts, it can also be used to mean "excluding" or "other than". | |||
| Hindi | के सिवाय | ||
| The word 'के सिवाय' also means 'other than', 'without', or 'besides' indicating exclusion of something. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೊರತುಪಡಿಸಿ | ||
| The word "ಹೊರತುಪಡಿಸಿ" can also be used in Kannada to express the idea of avoiding or excluding a particular entity from consideration. | |||
| Malayalam | ഒഴികെ | ||
| The word "ഒഴികെ" can also mean "excluding", "apart from", or "other than". | |||
| Marathi | वगळता | ||
| "वगळता" is the Marathi equivalent of "except". The word is derived from the Sanskrit word "वर्जित" (varjita), which means "excluded" or "prevented". | |||
| Nepali | बाहेक | ||
| The word 'बाहेक' is also used in Nepali to mean 'apart from' or 'in addition to' | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਿਵਾਏ | ||
| The word "ਸਿਵਾਏ" also means "in addition to" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "siva" meaning "own" or "belonging to." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හැර | ||
| The word "හැර" can also mean "in addition to" or "besides". | |||
| Tamil | தவிர | ||
| The word "தவிர" (thavira) also means "to avoid" or "to refrain from doing something" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | తప్ప | ||
| The Telugu word "తప్ప" is also an imperative verb form of "తొలగించు", and is used for removing items that are physically attached, especially for pulling out, rather than separating items that aren't attached. | |||
| Urdu | سوائے | ||
| The word "سوائے" ultimately comes from the Arabic word "سوى" which means "equal" or "alike". | |||
Except in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 除 | ||
| 除 is also found in 除法 ('division') and 除夕 ('New Year's Eve'), indicating the notion of 'removing' or 'getting rid of'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 除 | ||
| 除 is a variant of 锄 (hoe), and the bottom part (土) implies land or ground. | |||
| Japanese | を除いて | ||
| “を除いて”は“のぞきて”とも読み、“外して”の意味で用いられる場合がある。 | |||
| Korean | 외 | ||
| The Korean word "외" (except) has a Chinese character origin meaning "to wrap" or "to enclose". | |||
| Mongolian | бусад | ||
| The word "бусад" can also be used as a conjunction that translates to "but" or "however." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မှလွဲ | ||
Except in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kecuali | ||
| "Kecuali" also means "unless" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | kajaba | ||
| In Javanese, "kajaba" derives from Sanskrit "kasyapam" meaning "to protect" or "to exclude". | |||
| Khmer | លើកលែងតែ | ||
| លើកលែងតែ (except) is a loanword from Thai that can also carry the meaning of "to leave something out" or "to not include something". | |||
| Lao | ຍົກເວັ້ນ | ||
| Malay | kecuali | ||
| The root of the word 'kecuali' derives from the Sanskrit language, where 'ka' means 'out', 'kaala' means 'time', and 'i' means 'not', suggesting a concept of being out of time | |||
| Thai | ยกเว้น | ||
| ยกเว้น is a Thai word for "except" that originates from the Sanskrit word "vikala," meaning "deficient" or "imperfect." | |||
| Vietnamese | ngoại trừ | ||
| Ngoại trừ in Vietnamese, meaning "except," is borrowed from Chinese where the term is also pronounced the same and has a similar meaning. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | maliban sa | ||
Except in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | istisna olmaqla | ||
| The word "istisna olmaqla" can also be used to mean "with the exception of" or "exclusive of". | |||
| Kazakh | қоспағанда | ||
| The word "қоспағанда" can also mean "if not" or "otherwise" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | башка | ||
| "Башка" is also a slang word for "mind" in Kyrgyz, suggesting a connection between exception and awareness. | |||
| Tajik | ба истиснои | ||
| Turkmen | muňa degişli däldir | ||
| Uzbek | bundan mustasno | ||
| The word "bundan mustasno" comes from the Persian phrase "bundan mustasna," meaning "except for this." | |||
| Uyghur | بۇنىڭ سىرتىدا | ||
Except in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | koe wale no | ||
| In the Hawaiian language, "koe wale no" not only means "except" but also "you only." | |||
| Maori | engari | ||
| Engari in Maori also means 'but' or 'however', akin to the same word in the Indonesian language, "enggak". | |||
| Samoan | vagana | ||
| In Polynesian, vagana also means 'to wander, stray, or travel aimlessly'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | maliban | ||
| The word "maliban" can also be used as a conjunction meaning "unless" or "provided that". | |||
Except in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ixiptu | ||
| Guarani | ndoikéi | ||
Except in International Languages
| Esperanto | krom | ||
| The Esperanto word "krom" comes from the German word "kromm" meaning "bent, crooked". | |||
| Latin | nisi | ||
| Nisi derives from the PIE base "ne-es-", meaning "not-is" and has also been used to mean "if" and "unless" in various contexts. | |||
Except in Others Languages
| Greek | εκτός | ||
| Εκτός is the Greek cognate of the Latin | |||
| Hmong | tshwj tsis yog | ||
| The Hmong word "tshwj tsis yog" can also refer to "not included", "lacking", "absent", or "minus". | |||
| Kurdish | bê | ||
| The word bê also means 'without' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | dışında | ||
| "Dışında" can also mean "outside" or "beyond" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphandle | ||
| "Ngaphandle" is derived from the verb "ukuphela," meaning "to come to an end" or "to finish." | |||
| Yiddish | ויסער | ||
| The word "ויסער" also means "outside" or "beyond" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ngaphandle | ||
| "Ngaphandle" in Zulu derives from the Proto-Bantu root "-pa" meaning "to pass or go beyond," implying passing or going beyond something excluded. | |||
| Assamese | ইয়াৰ বাহিৰে | ||
| Aymara | ixiptu | ||
| Bhojpuri | के छोड़ि के | ||
| Dhivehi | މެނުވީ | ||
| Dogri | बगैरा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | maliban sa | ||
| Guarani | ndoikéi | ||
| Ilocano | malaksid | ||
| Krio | pas | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جگە لە | ||
| Maithili | अलावा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯁꯤ ꯅꯠꯇꯅ | ||
| Mizo | hmaih | ||
| Oromo | malee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଏହା ବ୍ୟତୀତ | ||
| Quechua | salvo | ||
| Sanskrit | विहाय | ||
| Tatar | башка | ||
| Tigrinya | ብዘይካ | ||
| Tsonga | handle ka | ||