освен
Except
Освен leaves someone or something out of a group: Сите дојдоа освен него. (Everyone came except him.) It can also add something: Освен тоа, немам време. (Besides, I have no time.)
How It Works
1. Except — leaving something out
The sentence names a whole group, and освен removes one part:
- Сите дојдоа освен него. (Everyone came except him.)
- Работам секој ден освен во недела. (I work every day except on Sunday.)
- Тука не познавам никого освен тебе. (I do not know anyone here except you.) Note the double negation with никого ... не (see никој; ништо; никогаш + не).
2. Besides — adding something
The main clause then often contains и (also, too):
- Освен англиски, зборувам и германски. (Besides English, I also speak German.)
- Освен тоа, немам време. (Besides, I have no time.) This is a very common way to add one more reason.
Pronouns: use the full forms: освен мене, освен тебе, освен него, освен неа, освен нив.
Before a clause: освен on its own does not join a plain statement such as врне. It can come before a phrase such as во недела, or before да: Нема што да правиме освен да чекаме. (We can do nothing but wait.) For unless, use освен ако не (see освен ако не), and to add a whole fact, use освен што (see освен што; покрај тоа што).
Examples (5)
- Сите дојдоа освен него.
Everyone came except him.
Word by Word: All came except him.
- Освен тоа, немам време.
Besides, I do not have time.
Word by Word: Except that, I-not-have time.
Освен тоа adds one more point to what was said before.
- Работам секој ден освен во недела.
I work every day except on Sunday.
Word by Word: I-work every day except on Sunday.
- Тука не познавам никого освен тебе.
I do not know anyone here except you.
Word by Word: Here not I-know nobody except you.
- Освен англиски, зборувам и германски.
Besides English, I also speak German.
Word by Word: Except English, I-speak also German.
The word и shows that German is added, not left out.
Common Mistakes
Using a short pronoun after освен.
Сите дојдоа освен го.Сите дојдоа освен него.Го is a short object pronoun that goes with a verb. After a preposition such as освен, use the full form него.
Using освен alone before a clause to mean unless.
Ќе дојдам освен врне.Ќе дојдам, освен ако не врне.Освен on its own does not mean unless. For unless with a verb, use the fixed phrase освен ако не.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Except follows each and all.
Related Patterns
- освен ако неUnless
Освен ако не means unless and is followed by a clause.
Level 4 - освен што / покрај тоа штоBesides the Fact That
Освен што adds a whole fact: Освен што е паметна, таа е и љубезна.
Level 5 - никој / ништо / никогаш + неDouble Negation
Освен often follows a negative word, which needs не before the verb.
Level 2 - мене / тебе / него / неаFull Object Pronouns
Pronouns after освен take these full forms.
Level 2 - покрај / околу / меѓу / спротиBeside Around and Between
Покрај тоа is another way to say besides that.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice освен in Bubblegum
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