gawas sa

Except for

Level 3

Gawas sa is the primary way to say "except for" or "aside from" in Cebuano. It is also used literally to mean "outside of."

How It Works

The phrase gawas sa is highly versatile in Cebuano, functioning as a spatial preposition, a logical operator for exclusion, and an additive marker.

1. Logical Exclusion ("Except For")
When used to exclude something from a group, it follows the structure: [General Statement] + gawas sa + [Exception].

  • For common nouns, use sa: Gawas sa saging... (Except for the banana...).
  • For personal names, formal Cebuano uses kang: Gawas kang Mark... (Except for Mark...). In casual speech, ni is often substituted.
  • For pronouns, use the oblique form: Gawas kaniya... (Except for him/her...).

2. Additive Meaning ("Aside From / In Addition To")
It can also mean "besides" or "in addition to." This is often paired with sad (also) or pa (still/more) to clarify the additive intent. For example: Gawas sa balay, nipalit sab siya og yuta (Aside from the house, he also bought land).

3. Spatial Location ("Outside Of")
The same phrase describes being physically outside a boundary. Naghuwat ko sa gawas sa balay (I am waiting outside the house).

4. Advanced Nuances

  • Unless: Use gawas kon when followed by a full verb clause.
  • Aside from being: Use gawas nga followed by an adjective (e.g., Gawas nga dako... - Aside from being big...).

Examples (6)

  1. Tanan sila nangadto sa party, gawas kaniya.

    All of them went to the party, except for him.

    Word by Word: All they went to the party, outside him.

    Uses the formal oblique pronoun 'kaniya' after 'gawas' to show exclusion.

  2. Nakapasar ang tanan gawas kang Jose.

    Everyone passed except for Jose.

    Word by Word: Passed the all outside of Jose.

    Uses the formal personal marker kang for a specific name.

  3. Gawas sa ulan, nindot kaayo ang atong bakasyon.

    Except for the rain, our vacation was very nice.

    Word by Word: Outside of the rain, beautiful very the our vacation.

    Shows how 'gawas sa' can be placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis.

  4. Gawas sa saging, nagdala sab ko og mangga.

    Aside from the bananas, I also brought mangoes.

    Word by Word: Outside of-the banana, brought also I [marker] mango.

    Demonstrates the additive meaning ('aside from' or 'in addition to') of the phrase.

  5. Wala koy laing gusto gawas kanimo.

    I want no one else except you.

    Word by Word: None my other want outside of-you.

    Uses the formal oblique pronoun kanimo to express exclusive desire.

  6. Gawas nga gwapa siya, maalamon pa gyud.

    Aside from being beautiful, she is also very smart.

    Word by Word: Outside that beautiful she, smart still really.

    Uses nga with an adjective to mean 'Aside from being [Adjective]'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'sa' for personal names.

    Gawas sa Maria, tanan nangaon.
    Gawas kang Maria, tanan nangaon.

    In formal Cebuano, 'gawas' requires the oblique personal marker kang. While you may hear ni in casual conversation, kang is the standard for names.

  • Using 'gawas sa' before a verb clause instead of 'gawas kon'.

    Dili ko moadto gawas sa mouban ka.
    Dili ko moadto gawas kon mouban ka.

    When you mean 'unless' (followed by a verb/action), you must use gawas kon instead of 'gawas sa'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

gawas saLevel 3Except for

Learn This First

To understand 'gawas sa' (except for), you need to know how the oblique marker 'sa' functions to link prepositions to nouns. It is also helpful to understand the word 'tanan' (all) since exclusion patterns usually refer back to a whole set, and you must be familiar with oblique pronouns which follow this phrase when referring to people.

Words in This Pattern

gawas