“Except” in Italian
Tranne
Tranne is the most conversational and informal way to say “except for” in Italian, frequently used in everyday speech. It is classified as a preposition, as it is used to express relations within sentences.
However, despite its casual tone, it is perfectly acceptable in most situations and is the preferred choice for everyday language. Its standard structure is the following: tranne + noun, pronoun, or present infinitive verb
In this construction, tranne does not require any additional prepositions or connectives, and it directly excludes the noun, pronoun, or action that follows it from what was previously mentioned in the sentence.
- tranne + noun:
Tutti mangiano la pizza tranne Marco.
Everyone eats pizza except Marco.
- tranne + pronoun
Vanno tutti alla festa tranne me.
Everyone goes to the party except me.
The most important thing to keep in mind when using this expression with pronouns is that we use unstressed personal pronouns. I know it sounds weird or hard, but it is easier than you think.
So far you might have heard of personal pronouns only. These are the typical subjects that are used in sentences. Unstressed personal pronouns, instead, are the personal pronouns that are used when the subject is preceded by a preposition.
In this context, tranne behaves as a preposition. Therefore, for the first and second-person singular we do not use io and tu but me and te: tranne me/te (except me/you), but tranne lui/lei/noi/voi/loro (except him/ her/ us/ you/ them).
It is basically the same grammatical rule that you have to follow when using the expression secondo me in Italian!
- tranne + verb
Mi piacciono tutti gli sport, tranne correre.
I like all sports, except running.
Remember that while in English we use the -ing form of a verb to use it as a noun, in Italian we use the present infinitive. Therefore, linguistically speaking correre is treated as a noun, although it is a verb!
Another grammatical aspect that I want to highlight is those circumstances when tranne is followed by che:
Voglio andare ovunque, tranne che in montagna.
I want to go everywhere except the mountains.
Whenever the item you are excluding is preceded by a preposition, tranne must be used in combination with the relative pronoun che. Let me show you more examples:
Mi piace parlare con i miei compagni, tranne che con Roberto.
I like talking to my classmates, except Roberto.
Amo il parmigiano sulla pasta, tranne che sulla pasta col pesce.
I love parmesan on pasta, except on pasta with fish.
Grammatically speaking, this behavior is very similar to that of Italian comparatives, where the second part of the comparison is preceded by a preposition:
È più interessante andare a teatro che al cinema.
It is more interesting to go to the theatre than to the cinema.
Eccetto
Eccetto is slightly more formal than tranne and is closer in meaning to the English word “except”. It is frequently used in more neutral contexts, like written communication, professional settings, or situations where a more structured tone is needed.
Its grammatical behavior is just the same as tranne, therefore it can be followed by a noun, a pronoun, or a verb in the present infinitive tense.
Tutti hanno capito, eccetto Luca.
Everyone understood, except Luca.
Hai invitato tutti al tuo compleanno, eccetto noi.
You invited everyone at your birthday, except us.
Fa tutto mio padre in casa, eccetto cucinare.
My dad does everything in the house, except cooking.
Moreover, also eccetto displays the same grammatical behavior when the excluded item is preceded by a preposition:
Potete contattarci per ogni tipo di servizio, eccetto che per le traduzioni.
You can contact us for any kind of service, except for translations.
A Parte
The expression a parte softens the tone and doesn’t emphasize the exception as strongly aseccetto or tranne. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it tends to give the sentence a gentler, more relaxed feel.
Again, its grammatical behavior is the same, as you can see below:
A parte la pioggia, la giornata è stata bellissima.
Apart from the rain, the day was beautiful.
Mi piacciono i tuoi amici, a parte lui.
I like your friends, apart from him.
So fare tante cose, a parte ballare.
I can do many things, apart from dancing.
As you might have predicted, also a parte displays the same grammatical behavior when the excluded item is preceded by a preposition:
Andrei in vacanza ovunque, tranne che in Spagna.
I would go on holiday anywhere but Spain.
Salvo
Salvo is another Italian word that translates to “except for” or “unless” and it functions similarly to the others. However, salvo tends to be used in more formal or legal contexts.
Again, it can be followed by a noun, a pronoun, or an infinitive verb:
Tutti erano d’accordo, salvo Gianni.
Everyone agreed,except Gianni.
Ho salutato tutti, salvo voi.
I greeted everybody, except you.
Abbiamo fatto tutti i compiti, salvo leggere il riassunto.
We did all the homework, except reading the summary.
Again, salvo is followed by the relative pronoun che when the excluded item is preceded by a preposition:
Siamo riusciti ad andare da tutti, salvo che dal dottore.
We managed to go to everyone except the doctor.
“Except for” as “Unless” in Italian
There are some circumstances in which the meaning of “except for” overlaps with that of “unless“. This happens both in English and in Italian. In this case, it introduces a condition or exception to the statement made in the main clause.
The two expressions that can undergo this shift in meaning are tranne and salvo. Specifically, this happens when they are followed by the relative pronoun che and an entire further clause, that is another subject and another verb.
Il contratto è valido, salvo che le condizioni non cambino.
The contract is valid, unless the conditions change.
Mi va bene tutto, tranne che tu prenda la mia macchina.
I’m fine with anything, except you taking the train.
As you can see, the verbs following these expressions are conjugated in the subjunctive mood. This happens whenever the subjects of the two connected clauses are different.
It is a very common phenomenon, in fact it happens also with the structure senza che.
Express Exceptions in Italian
Understanding how to say “except for” in Italian opens up a variety of options depending on the formality, tone, and nuance you want to convey.
Tranne is the most informal and widely used, eccetto offers a more formal alternative, suited for written or professional contexts, a parte conveys exceptions with a gentler tone, while salvo is used in formal or legal contexts.
Each of these words follows similar grammatical structures, either excluding a noun, pronoun, or infinitive verb from the sentence.
Additionally, in certain contexts, tranne and salvo can take on the meaning of “unless” introducing conditional clauses when combined with che.
Now that you know all these alternatives, you can flexibly express exceptions in any context!
