Salvo x mas

Question

In todays word is example sentence: Todos están contentos salvo mi madre. Everyone is happy except my mother.

Can I also say it like this and does it mean the same? Todos están contestos mas mi madre.

Typo " contentos " - ray76, Mar 26, 2012

Answer 1

"Todos están contentos mas mi madre" is incorrect.

You could say "Todos están contentos excepto mi madre" or "Todos están contentos menos mi madre".

Perhaps, you could say "Todos están contentos, mas mi madre no lo está". But it sounds quite odd, so I wouldn't use it, at least in the spoken language.

Thank you cordobesa , I was not confident enough to be more definite but I was fairly sure it was wrong , because it was not sounding correct in English - ray76, Mar 26, 2012

De nada Ray ;) - Cordobesa, Mar 26, 2012

Answer 2

"todos estan contentos menos mi madre" is the more natural, at least in latin america

También en España es la manera más frecuente de decirlo :) - Cordobesa, Mar 26, 2012

ah di buenisimo :) - saratoga, Mar 26, 2012

Answer 3

It sounds Ok to me , but in English I would prefer to use " except " rather than " but "

A Spanish native would be better to advise ." But my mother, is slightly ambiguous'.