The word "excepto" is used primarily as a preposition in Spanish. It denotes exclusion, indicating that something is not included or is different from what has been mentioned. In terms of frequency, "excepto" is relatively common in written contexts, especially in more formal registers such as legal documents and academic writing. In oral speech, it may be used, but less frequently than its synonym "menos" (meaning "less" or "except").
Excepto el lunes, todos los días estoy disponible.
Except for Monday, I am available every day.
Todos los miembros del equipo asistieron, excepto Juan.
All team members attended, except Juan.
Se puede entrar a la sala, excepto con comida.
You can enter the room, except with food.
"Excepto" is not frequently found in idiomatic expressions by itself; however, it is often involved in constructions or phrases where exclusion is a key component.
No hay nada que no puedas hacer, excepto rendirte.
There is nothing you cannot do, except give up.
Todo salió bien, excepto la última parte del proyecto.
Everything went well, except the last part of the project.
Puedes tomar cualquier camino, excepto el que lleva a la montaña.
You can take any path, except the one that leads to the mountain.
La reunión fue exitosa, excepto la falta de tiempo.
The meeting was successful, except for the lack of time.
The word "excepto" has its roots in the Latin word excipere, which means "to take out" or "to remove." The prefix "ex-" indicates a sense of outward or exclusion, combined with "capere," which means "to take."