When talking about strict rules, dress codes, or VIP access, you'll often need to state the exceptions. To say "except" in Spanish, use the exclusion markers excepto, salvo, or menos.
Using excepto and salvo
Excepto and salvo both mean "except" or "save for" and are essentially interchangeable. Just place them right before the person or thing excluded from the rule:
| The area is restricted, except for the members. | El área está restringida, salvo para los miembros. |
| Informal things are inappropriate, except on Saturdays. | Lo informal es inapropiado, excepto los sábados. |
Grammar Note: Unlike most Spanish prepositions, which are followed by prepositional pronouns (like mí and ti), exclusion markers use subject pronouns (like yo and tú).
| Everyone can enter, except you. | Todos pueden entrar, excepto tú. |
Using menos
You probably know menos as the word for "less". However, it is also incredibly common in everyday Spanish to mean "except" or "but". It functions exactly like excepto and salvo:
| All the clothes are formal, except that shirt. | Toda la ropa es formal, menos esa camisa. |
| Access is restricted for everyone, except for us. | El acceso está restringido para todos, menos para nosotros. |
| Admit everyone, except that man. | Admite a todos, menos a ese hombre. |
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