Je mange tout sauf le poisson.

I eat everything except fish.

Breakdown of Je mange tout sauf le poisson.

• je: I
• manger: to eat
• tout: everything
• le poisson: the fish
• sauf: except

Questions & Answers about Je mange tout sauf le poisson.

What does the word sauf do here, and what can follow it?

• sauf is a preposition meaning “except (for)”; it introduces an exception to what precedes.
• It’s followed by a noun phrase with its article: sauf le poisson, sauf les desserts.
• With people, use stressed pronouns: sauf lui/elle/eux/elles (not the clitic pronouns le/la/les).
• To exclude a whole clause, use:
  • sauf que
    • clause = “except that”
  • sauf si
    • clause = “except if / unless”
• Near-synonyms: à part, excepté, hormis (the last two are a bit more formal).

Do I need a comma before sauf?

It’s optional. Both are fine:

• Je mange tout, sauf le poisson. (with a slight pause/emphasis)
• Je mange tout sauf le poisson. (more compact) If you front the exception, use a comma: Sauf le poisson, je mange tout.

Why is it le poisson and not du poisson? Are both correct?

Both are possible; the nuance changes:

• le poisson = the category “fish” in general (or “the fish” that’s understood in context). It feels like a rule or a general preference.
• du poisson = an unspecified amount, “some fish” (more about the substance on offer). Examples:
• Buffet context (choices on a table): Je mange tout sauf du poisson. (“I’ll eat everything here except fish.”)
• General rule about your diet: Je mange tout sauf le poisson. (“I eat everything except fish (as a category).”)

What’s the difference between Je mange tout and Je mange de tout?

• Je mange tout = “I eat everything” (all the items present).
• Je mange de tout = “I eat a bit of everything / I’m not picky” (I eat all kinds of things). With an exception:
• Je mange de tout, sauf le/du poisson. (both are heard; pick le to exclude the category, du to exclude taking any fish from what’s offered)

How do I pronounce the sentence?

IPA: [ʒə mɑ̃ʒ tu sof lə pwasɔ̃]

• Je = [ʒə] (often reduced to [ʒ] in fast speech)
• mange = [mɑ̃ʒ]
• tout = [tu] (final -t silent here)
• sauf = [sof]
• le = [lə]
• poisson = [pwasɔ̃] (oi = [wa], double ss = [s], nasal -on = [ɔ̃]) Don’t confuse poisson [pwasɔ̃] “fish” with poison [pwazɔ̃] “poison.”

Why is it tout and not tous or toutes?

Here tout is a neuter pronoun meaning “everything,” and it’s invariable.

• As adjectives: tout/toute/tous/toutes agree with a noun (e.g., toutes les salades).
• As pronouns for plural items: tous/toutes = “all (of them)” (e.g., Je les mange tous.) Pronunciation tip:
• tout (neuter pronoun) = [tu]
• tous (pronoun) often pronounced [tus] when emphasized or before a pause

Can I replace le poisson with a pronoun after sauf?

Not with clitics (le/la/les) because prepositions take stressed forms.

• People: sauf lui/elle/eux/elles (e.g., Je mange tout sauf lui.)
• Things: use sauf ça/cela or a demonstrative pronoun that matches the noun: sauf celui/celle/ceux/celles (e.g., after mentioning dishes, Je mange tout sauf celui-ci.)

Can I start with the exception: Sauf le poisson, je mange tout?

Yes. Fronting the exception adds emphasis to what you don’t eat. Always add a comma:

• Sauf le poisson, je mange tout.

Does the present je mange mean both “I eat” and “I’m eating”?

Yes. French simple present covers both habitual and ongoing actions. If you need to stress the ongoing aspect, you can say:

• Je suis en train de manger. (not typically combined with an exception right after it)

Can sauf be followed by a full clause?

Use:

• sauf que
  • clause = “except that” (e.g., Je mangerais tout, sauf que je suis allergique au poisson.)
• sauf si
  • clause = “except if / unless” (e.g., Je mange tout, sauf si c’est du poisson.) For “unless,” you’ll also hear à moins que
    • subjunctive (e.g., à moins que ce ne soit du poisson).

How do I say “I only eat fish,” as opposed to “I eat everything except fish”?

• “I only eat fish” = Je ne mange que du poisson.
• “I eat everything except fish” = Je mange tout sauf le poisson. Note that ne… que means “only,” not a negation in the usual sense.

What if I mean the animal (fish) and not the food?

Use the plural for animals: les poissons.

• Animals: J’aime tous les animaux sauf les poissons.
• Food/general category: Je mange tout sauf le poisson.

Do I pronounce the final -t in tout or make any liaison here?

No. In this sentence tout is pronounced [tu] (no -t), and there’s no liaison with sauf because it begins with a consonant: [tu sof]. So: … mange tout sauf … = [mɑ̃ʒ tu sof].

Is sauf au poisson ever correct?

No. sauf directly takes a noun phrase with its article: sauf le poisson / du poisson / les poissons, not à + noun. So avoid sauf au poisson here.

How could I soften this in a polite context (e.g., at someone’s home)?

Try one of these:

• Je mangerais de tout, sauf le poisson. (conditional sounds softer)
• Je préfère éviter le poisson.
• Je ne mange pas de poisson, désolé(e).
• Je n’aime pas trop le poisson.

When would I choose this sentence over simply saying I don’t eat fish?

• Je mange tout sauf le poisson. emphasizes that you’re generally flexible but make one exception.
• Je ne mange pas de poisson. states a straightforward rule (dietary restriction or preference) without comparing it to other foods.