إِلَّا
ʔillā
The English phrase 'but' can be translated into Arabic as إِلَّا (ʔillā) when used with the meaning of 'except'. Wiktionary also lists سِوًى (siwan) and إلا (illa).
Meaning: except (conj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| إِلَّا | ʔillā | |
| سِوًى | siwan | |
| إلا | illa | Hijazi Arabic |
| مَا عَدَا | mā ʕadā | Hijazi Arabic |
The form إِلَّا is the standard way to express 'except' in Modern Standard Arabic, often used to create restrictive-style sentences like 'nothing but'.
Which one should you use?
If you mean 'but' as a conjunction to connect two contrasting ideas, you should use different words like وَلَكِنْ, لَكِنَّ or dialect-specific terms like بَسْ or بِسْ.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Egyptian dialect, the word for 'but' is بَسْ. In Gulf Arabic, the word for 'but' is لَكِن. The forms إلا and مَا عَدَا are associated with Hijazi-Arabic.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔillā
Did you know?
- The word بَسْ used for 'but' in Egyptian and Levantine dialects also means 'enough' or 'stop'. This means a single word can be used to either contrast two ideas or tell someone to stop doing something.
- The word إِلَّا is a linguistic sibling to the Hebrew word אֶלָּא, meaning they share a common ancestor from thousands of years ago.
- If you use the formal إِلَّا in a dialect-heavy setting, you might sound like you are reciting poetry or a legal document rather than having a normal chat.
Examples in context
- كلنا هنا إلا هو.All but for he are here.This sentence shows how to use إلا to mean 'except' in a group.Tatoeba #1597692 by Amastan, translation #307945 by al_ex_an_der
- سأعطيك أي شيء إلا هذا.I'll give you anything but this.This sentence uses إلا to express 'anything but'.Tatoeba #422719 by saeb, translation #54908 by CK
- إنها لا تأكل إلا الخضار.She eats nothing but vegetables.This sentence demonstrates a restrictive use of إلا meaning 'nothing but'.Tatoeba #498514 by saeb, translation #304279 by CK
- أُحِبُّ الرِيَاضَةَ، وَلَكِنْ لَا أَمَلِكُ الوَقْتَ لِمُمَارَسَتِهَا.I love sports, but I don't have time to practice them.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nour and Ziad are talking about their plans for the weekend.
- نور Nourسأذهب إلى السينما، هل ستأتي معي؟Sa'adhhabu ila al-sinama, hal sata'ti ma'i?I am going to the cinema, will you come with me?
- زياد Ziadأريد الذهاب، إلا أنني مشغول غداً.Uridu al-dhahab, illa annani mashghul ghadan.I want to go, but I am busy tomorrow.
- نور Nourلا يوجد أحد في البيت إِلَّا أخي.La yujadu ahadun fi al-bayt illa akhi.There is no one in the house except my brother.
- زياد Ziadإذاً يمكننا الذهاب معه.Idhan yumkinuna al-dhahab ma'ahu.Then we can go with him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “but” translations and entries إلا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries إلا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
