# The exception proves the rule.



## Encolpius

Hello, how do you say that in your languages? Thanks. 

*Hungarian*: A kivétel erősíti a szabályt.

[a = article, kivétel = exception, erősíti = strengthen, szabályt = rule]

*Czech*: Výjimka potvrzuje pravidlo. 

[výjimka = exception, potvrzuje = prove, pravidlo = rule]

*Spanish*: La excepción confirma la regla.


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## sakvaka

*Finnish*: _Poikkeus vahvistaa säännön._ (~ confirms, strengthens ~)


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
«Η εξαίρεση επιβεβαιώνει τον κανόνα»
i e'kseresi epiveve'oni ton ka'nona
lit. "the exception confirms the rule"
or
«Η εξαίρεση που επιβεβαιώνει τον κανόνα»
i e'kseresi pu epiveve'oni ton ka'nona
lit. "the exception that confirms the rule"

Επιβεβαιώνω (epiveve'ono): _to confirm_


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## Awwal12

*Russian*:
исключение подтверждает правило (isklyuch*e*niye podtverzhd*a*yet pr*a*vilo)
It looks quite similar to the Czech variant.
исключение - exception
подтверждает - confirms, corroborates
правило - rule


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## ThomasK

Dutch: "De uitzondering bevestigt de regel." (confirms)


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## Orlin

Awwal12 said:


> *Russian*:
> исключение подтверждает правило (isklyuch*e*niye podtverzhd*a*yet pr*a*vilo)
> It looks quite similar to the Czech variant.
> исключение - exception
> подтверждает - confirms, corroborates
> правило - rule


 
Very similar in Bulgarian:
изключението подтвърждава правилото (isklyuch*e*nieto podtvarzhd*a*va pr*a*viloto).
изключение(то) - (the) exception
подтвърждава - confirms, corroborates
правило(то) - (the) rule


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## Outsider

In Portuguese there is the phrase _a excepção que confirma a regra_, "the exception that confirms the rule". The full statement, however, does not seem to be much used.


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## phosphore

Encolpius said:


> *Czech*: Výjimka potvrzuje pravidlo.
> 
> [výjimka = exception, potvrzuje = prove, pravidlo = rule]


 
Serbian: 

Izuzetak potvrđuje pravilo.

Croatian:

Iznimka potvrđuje pravilo.


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## vianie

> Czech: Výjimka potvrzuje pravidlo.





> Croatian: Iznimka potvrđuje pravilo.



Slovak: Výnimka potvrdzuje pravidlo.


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## Rallino

In Turkish we have:

*İstisnalar kâideyi bozmaz.*   Which means:  Exceptions don't undo the truth.

_I'm not sure if it's the same thing, because I don't understand the logic of the English sentence: Exception proves the rule _


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## ThomasK

Well, isn't it that in order to distinguish (dis-tinguish), you need two, and as for right/ wrong, the rule/ standard/... creates exceptions, and thus exceptions in turn confirm the rule. Whereas on the other hand I believe rules are convenient fictions, useful hypotheses, that help us - to some extent... 

It is funny how in Turkish you suddenly refer to truth, whereas rules and truth are not the same. _(I do not wish to suggest that there is anything wrong with the Turkish variant, on the contrary)_


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## enoo

French: L'exception qui confirme la règle. 

I always found this phrase confusing - but maybe because I've always heard it used as an ironic way to justify something completely wrong.


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## Rallino

ThomasK said:


> Well, isn't it that in order to distinguish (dis-tinguish), you need two, and as for right/ wrong, the rule/ standard/... creates exceptions, and thus exceptions in turn confirm the rule. Whereas on the other hand I believe rules are convenient fictions, useful hypotheses, that help us - to some extent...
> 
> It is funny how in Turkish you suddenly refer to truth, whereas rules and truth are not the same. _(I do not wish to suggest that there is anything wrong with the Turkish variant, on the contrary)_



Now that you asked, I checked the dictionary. The word *kâide* is an old word and not in use anymore except for expressions of this nature, and I thought it meant "truth", but I've just checked, it means: Rule. So there =)


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## ThomasK

Well, Rallino, you disappoint me! ;-) But OK, I forgive you: in the meantime I have looked up the word 'rule' as well, and discovered another word based on that in Dutch. So, your mistake has still proved useful! 

What I do wonder about is: if you make this mistake, then how come? Do you have another word for 'rule'? But I'll bring it up elsewhere...


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## Rallino

Yep we do. The word we always use for _rule_ is *Kural*. We use this everywhere:

Kurala uymak = (lit. to fit in the rule) to respect a rule
Kuralı çiğnemek = (lit. to chew a rule) to violate a rule
Kuralsız fiil = (lit. ruleless verb) irregular verb

But some old expressions like the one in this thread...It sounds strange with _'Kural'_. We stick with the old vocab there


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## Prima Facie

LA excepción que confirma la regla.


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## Outsider

enoo said:


> I always found this phrase confusing - but maybe because I've always heard it used as an ironic way to justify something completely wrong.


Me, too.


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## saharuna

Hello all,

Japanese:例外によって規則［原則］があることが分かる。
Reigai ni yotte kisoku(gensoku)ga arukotoga wakaru.


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## ElFrikiChino

Italian: l'eccezione (che) conferma la regola


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## sakvaka

*Swedish*: _Undantaget bekräftar regeln._


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## CrnaMačka

In Romanian is pretty similar to the rest of Romance languages:
_* Excepţia care confirmă regula.*_


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## mataripis

Tagalog: Siyang Naiiba ay siyang nagpatunay sa patakaran.


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