Translation guide
The English word "except" is used to exclude something from a general statement. In Japanese, this is most commonly expressed with 以外 (igai), but the grammar and word order differ from English. Other patterns like を除いて (o nozoite) and だけは別 (dake wa betsu) are also used depending on context.
To say 'all/some/everything except X' or 'no one/nothing except X'.
以外 (igai) means 'except' or 'other than'. It attaches to nouns or nominalized phrases. The word order is often the reverse of English: 'X以外のY' means 'Y except X' or 'Y other than X'. When used with a negative predicate, it can mean 'nothing but X' or 'only X'.
Everyone except me came.
No one knows except him.
Any day except Sunday is fine.
を除いて (o nozoite) is a more formal or written way to say 'except' or 'excluding'. It is often used in instructions, reports, or when listing exceptions.
This price includes everything except tax.
There is a meeting every day except the last day.
だけは別 (dake wa betsu) means 'except for' or 'is an exception'. It emphasizes that one thing is treated differently from the rest.
Everyone agrees, except for him.
のほかは (no hoka wa) can mean 'except' or 'apart from', but it is less common than 以外 and can be ambiguous (also meaning 'besides'). Use with caution.
のほか can also mean 'in addition to', so context is important. 以外 is clearer for 'except'.
No one came except him.
To say 'except when/if/that...' or 'except for the fact that...'.
This pattern is used to say 'except for X, not...' or 'only X'. It can be used with verbs and adjectives by nominalizing them with の or こと.
There is no way except for him to come.
Except that it's quiet here, it's not a particularly nice place.
を除けば (o nozokeba) is the conditional form of 除く, meaning 'if we exclude...' or 'except for'. It is slightly more formal and often used in written analysis.
A more explicit way to say 'except for the fact that...' or 'except in the respect that...'. It is wordy but clear.
To say 'except that...' or 'only, but...' when contrasting a minor flaw or exception.
This pattern means 'it's just that...' or 'the only thing is...'. It introduces an exception or a minor negative point after a generally positive statement.
It's a nice apartment, except that it's far from the station.
Similar to を除いて, but with the topic marker は, it emphasizes the exception as the topic. Often used in formal contexts.
In English, we say 'everyone except me'. In Japanese, the word order is often 'me except everyone' (私以外の人はみんな). Be careful not to translate word-for-word.
Everyone except me came.
以外 (igai) is the most common and neutral way to say 'except'. のほか (no hoka) can also mean 'besides' or 'in addition to', so it can be ambiguous. Use 以外 when you want to clearly exclude something.
No one knows except him. (clear exclusion)
Does anyone else know besides him? (ambiguous: could be 'except' or 'in addition')
The pattern 'X以外に〜ない' often translates to 'only X' or 'nothing but X'. It is a common way to express exclusivity.
I have no friends except him. / He is my only friend.
Everyone except Tom went.
I like all fruits except bananas.
The store is open every day except Monday.
Except for this point, the plan is perfect.
He is competent, except for the fact that he lacks experience.
Except for this problem, everything has been resolved.