Four identical bright red cubes are aligned in a neat row, with a single bright blue sphere positioned distinctly apart from the group, illustrating the concept of exclusion.

excepto

/eks-SEP-toh/

Preposition/ConjunctionA2

except?introducing an exception

Also:but?similar to 'except for',apart from?setting something aside,other than?excluding something

📝 In Action

Todos vinieron a la fiesta, excepto Juan.

Everyone came to the party, except Juan.

Trabajo todos los días excepto los domingos.

I work every day except on Sundays.

La tienda está abierta siempre, excepto cuando es feriado.

The store is always open, except when it's a holiday.

No me importa el color, excepto que no sea amarillo.

I don't mind the color, except that it can't be yellow.

Word Connections

Synonyms

salvo (except / save)
menos (except / less)

Antonyms

incluso (including / even)
también (also / too)

Common Collocations

excepto que – unless / except that
todos excepto uno – all except one

💡 Grammar Points

Excluding Something from a Group

Use 'excepto' to single out the one thing that is different from the rest of the group. It works just like 'except' in English. Just put it before the thing you want to exclude.

Using 'Excepto que' for Situations

When you want to talk about an exceptional situation (not just a thing), you can use 'excepto que'. This often means 'unless'. For example, 'Saldremos a caminar, excepto que llueva' (We'll go for a walk, unless it rains).

❌ Common Pitfalls

'Excepto' vs. 'Menos'

Mistake: "Not knowing that 'menos' can also mean 'except'."

Correction: 'Todos vinieron excepto María' and 'Todos vinieron menos María' mean the same thing. They are often interchangeable, so don't worry too much about picking the 'wrong' one. 'Excepto' can feel slightly more formal.

⭐ Usage Tips

A Simple Connector

Think of 'excepto' as a simple connecting word. It doesn't change its form and can be followed by a person, place, thing, or a whole idea starting with 'que'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: excepto

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'excepto' to say 'I like all fruits except bananas'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

excepción(exception) - noun

excepcional(exceptional) - adjective

exceptuar(to except / to exclude) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'excepto', 'salvo', and 'menos'?

Great question! In most everyday situations, they mean the same thing and you can use them interchangeably. 'Excepto' is very common and neutral. 'Salvo' can sometimes feel a bit more formal or literary. 'Menos' is also very common in spoken Spanish. For a learner, you can't go wrong choosing any of them to mean 'except'.

Do I need to use 'a' or 'de' after 'excepto'?

No, you usually don't need another word right after 'excepto'. You just name the thing you're excluding. For example, 'Me gusta todo excepto el brócoli' (I like everything except broccoli).