“wo nozoite / wo nozoki” Meaning — Except for 〜 [JLPT N2]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

The formal way to say “except for…” — usage, how it differs from 以外, and examples. (JLPT N2)

「年末年始を除いて、年中無休」 — dig out one exception first, and the rest counts

A notice at a shop door: 「年末年始を除いて、年中無休」 (except for the New Year holidays, open year-round) — 「〜を除いて・〜を除き」 = except for ～, first taking one item out as an “exception,” with everything else holding. It's a formal pattern for precisely pointing out an exception in rules, notices, business hours, and statistical explanations. This guide covers its attachment (particle を, attributive を除く), its division of labor with 「以外,」 and warns of a trap that the Chinese “除了” brings.

Core: を除いて = subtracting one exception from the whole

「noun ＋ を除いて／を除き」 means “taking one item out as an exception” — first digging out that exception, with everything else holding:

• 一部の商品を除いて、全品セール中 (except for some items, everything's on sale).
• 彼を除いて、全員が賛成した (except for him, everyone agreed).

「除く（のぞく）」 is “to remove, exclude.” The tone is formal, objective, mostly for rules, notices, statistics. To modify a noun, use 「を除く」 (祝日を除く平日 = weekdays excluding holidays).

Feel: “except for ～ (excluding ～)” — the core is exclusion: subtract one exception from the whole, and the rest is the valid range. It's pure ‘exclusion,' with no “addition” sense (a trap for learners, discussed below).

Attachment & forms

Example sentences

• 沖縄を除いて、全国的に晴れるでしょう。(Except for Okinawa, it'll be clear nationwide.) — weather
• 一部の地域を除き、送料は無料です。(Except for some areas, shipping is free.) — rule
• 未成年者を除いて、どなたでも参加できます。(Except for minors, anyone may join.) — notice
• 祝日を除く平日は、九時から営業します。(On weekdays excluding holidays, open from nine.) — noun modification
• この点を除いては、すべて順調だ。(Except for this point, all is going smoothly.) — except ～, all

⚠️ Where learners slip up

① The particle is 「を,」 not 「が.」 「除く」 is a transitive verb, so the exception before it takes 「を」: ○ 一部を除いて, ○ 日曜を除き / × 一部が除いて, × 日曜が除き. Chinese speakers easily err under the influence of 「～が.」 Mnemonic: (exception) ＋ を ＋ 除いて／除き／除く, always 「を.」

② To modify a noun, use 「を除く,」 not 「を除いて.」 When a noun follows (modifying a noun), use the attributive 「を除く,」 not 「を除いて」: ○ 祝日を除く平日 (weekdays excluding holidays), ○ 一部を除く全商品 / × 祝日を除いての平日, × 一部を除いての全商品. Test: a noun follows → 「を除く」 (attributive); a clause/verb follows → 「を除いて／を除き」 (adverbial). This is the “adverbial て vs attributive く” distinction.

③ The Chinese ‘除了' trap: を除いて is ‘pure exclusion,' not ‘addition.' This is the most insidious L1 interference. Chinese “除了A，B也…” sometimes has an additive sense — “both A and B hold” (除了語文，他數學也很好 = good at language, and math too, both). But Japanese 「を除いて」 is pure exclusion — “subtract A, only the rest remains” (A is not included). So to express that Chinese “besides A, even B also …” addition (A counts, B counts), you can't use を除いて — use 「〜だけでなく／〜のみならず (not only ～ but also…)」 or 「〜に加えて (in addition to ～)」: to say “besides English, he also speaks Chinese (both)” → 英語だけでなく中国語も話せる (○ addition) / 英語を除いて中国語が話せる (× this becomes “English doesn't count, he only speaks Chinese,” totally wrong). Test: Chinese “除了” meaning “subtract, not including” (exclusion) → を除いて; meaning “add, also counts” (addition) → だけでなく／に加えて. This “exclusion vs addition” distinction is where を除いて is most easily led astray by Chinese.

🔄 Compare with similar forms: を除いて／以外／を抜きにして／を別として

💡 Quick takeaway

「〜を除いて・を除き」 = except for ～ (excluding an exception), a formal pattern for precisely pointing out an exception in notices, rules, business hours, statistics. Three points: ① the particle is を (一部を除いて, not が); ② to modify a noun use 「を除く」 (祝日を除く平日, not を除いての); ③ the biggest Chinese trap — を除いて is ‘pure exclusion,' not ‘addition': if the Chinese “除了A，B也…” is the additive “both A and B count,” use 〈だけでなく〉／に加えて, not を除いて (which is “subtract A, only the rest remains”). Also, it leans written/formal; for everyday “except ～,” 「以外」 is more natural (この本以外は読んだ = read everything except this book). Register test: notices/rules use を除いて, casual chat uses 以外.

❓ Quick FAQ

Q: 「を除いて」 and 「以外」 both mean ‘except for ～' — what's the difference?

Close in meaning (both “except for ～”), differing in register (formality) and feel. 「〜を除いて／を除き」 = except for ～ (formal, objective exclusion): with a clear written, formal color, stressing “taking something out as an exception,” mostly for rules, notices, business hours, statistics, weather — objective, formal statements: 年末年始を除いて、年中無休 (except for New Year, open year-round — business notice), 一部地域を除き、送料無料 (except for some areas, free shipping — rule). It gives a precise, formal feel, and can modify a noun with the attributive 「を除く」 (祝日を除く平日). 「〜以外」 = except for ～ (general, commonest): usable in speech and writing, the most neutral and common “except,” the first choice for everyday conversation: この本以外は全部読んだ (I read everything except this book), あなた以外に頼める人がいない (there's no one to ask but you). Test: writing rules, notices, formally excluding an exception → を除いて／を除き; everyday conversation, general ‘except' → 以外. E.g. a business-hours notice 「日曜を除いて営業」 is formal and apt; but telling a friend 「日曜以外は暇だよ (I'm free except Sundays)」 is more natural with 以外. In short, を除いて is the “notice/rule” version of formal exclusion, 以外 the everyday general version.

Q: The Chinese ‘除了' sometimes means ‘also counting it in' — can I always use 「を除いて」 in Japanese?

No — this is where you're most likely to err. The Chinese “除了” actually has two opposite meanings, and Japanese uses different expressions: ① exclusion (subtract, not including) → を除いて／以外: “except for A (A doesn't count), the rest ….” 除了他以外，都來了 (he didn't come, the rest did) = 彼を除いて、みんな来た (○). This “take A out” sense uses 「を除いて／以外.」 ② addition (add, also counts) → だけでなく／に加えて／のみならず: “besides A (A also counts), there's also B ….” 他除了英文，還會中文 (knows both English and Chinese) = 英語だけでなく、中国語も話せる (○) / 英語に加えて、中国語も話せる (○). This additive sense of “A also counts, plus B” must never use を除いて — saying 「英語を除いて中国語が話せる」 would mean “doesn't know English (excluding it), only Chinese,” the exact opposite! So the key is first judging whether the Chinese “除了” is “subtract” or “add”: “subtract, not including” → を除いて／以外 (exclusion); “add, also counts, plus” → だけでなく／に加えて (addition). E.g. “除了下雨天，我每天都跑步” is “subtracting rainy days” (exclusion) → 雨の日を除いて毎日走る (○); “除了跑步，我還游泳” is “both running and swimming” (addition) → ジョギングだけでなく、水泳もする (○). Same Chinese “除了,” one exclusion, one addition — Japanese keeps them sharply apart, so don't blanket-apply を除いて.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「年末年始___、年中無休です。」(except for the New Year holidays)

(A) を除いて　(B) によって　(C) において　(D) について

Q2. What comes before 「を除き」?

(A) a noun　(B) verb te-form　(C) i-adjective　(D) question word

Q3. What does 「彼を除いて誰も知らない」 mean?

(A) Except for him, no one knows

(B) Including him, no one knows

(C) Only he doesn't know

(D) Everyone knows

Q4. What does 「を除いて」 mean?

(A) except for ~ (excluding a certain item)

(B) surrounding ~

(C) on the premise of ~

(D) along with ~

Q5. Which usage is correct?

(A) 一部を除いて無料です。　(B) 一部を除いてのに。

(C) 一部が除いて。　(D) 一部を除いてをする。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) を除いて ── Except for the New Year holidays.

2. (A) 名詞 ── noun + を除き.

3. (A) ── Except for him, no one knows.

4. (A) ── except for ~ (excluding).

5. (A) ── 「一部を除いて」 is correct.