เกือบ
almost (did something)
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 almost (did something)、nearly (did something)
- 2 almost、nearly、close to
It indicates that an event, amount, or state comes very close to a certain point without fully reaching it.
almost (did something)、nearly (did something)
It shows that an event came close to happening but ultimately did not happen.
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เกือบลืม kʉ̀ap lʉʉm I almost forgot. เกือบลืม details
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ฉันเกือบตกบันได chǎn kʉ̀ap tòk banday I almost fell down the stairs. ฉันเกือบตกบันได details
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เขาเกือบจะร้องไห้ khǎw kʉ̀ap cà rɔ́ɔŋ hây He almost cried. เขาเกือบจะร้องไห้ details
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เกือบตายแล้ว kʉ̀ap taay lɛ́ɛw I almost died. เกือบตายแล้ว details
almost、nearly、close to
It indicates that an amount, time, range, or degree of completion is just short of a stated point.
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เกือบร้อยคน kʉ̀ap rɔ́ɔy khon Nearly one hundred people. เกือบร้อยคน details
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ตอนนี้เกือบห้าโมงแล้ว tɔɔn níi kʉ̀ap hâa mooŋ lɛ́ɛw It is almost five o'clock now. ตอนนี้เกือบห้าโมงแล้ว details
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งานเกือบเสร็จแล้ว ŋaan kʉ̀ap sèt lɛ́ɛw The work is almost finished. งานเกือบเสร็จแล้ว details
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เกือบทุกคน kʉ̀ap thúk khon Almost everyone. เกือบทุกคน details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central image of เกือบ is being just short of a boundary without crossing it. Before a verb, เกือบ or เกือบจะ means that an action came close to happening. For example, เกือบลืม means that the speaker was on the verge of forgetting but remembered in time. Adding จะ is common and can make the sense of an impending event slightly more explicit. Before a number, time, or duration, it normally means just under the stated amount. With a state such as เสร็จ, it means “almost finished,” while เกือบทุกคน means “almost everyone,” excluding at least some people. It is a neutral, common word used in both conversation and writing.
Usage
It is commonly used when describing something that nearly happened, such as almost falling, arriving late, or forgetting something. It is also frequent when an amount, age, time, or duration is close to a particular figure, or when work and preparations are close to completion.
Caution
With a verb, it normally implies that the action did not actually happen. เกือบลืม means that someone came close to forgetting but remembered in time. With a number, it generally indicates an amount below that number. เกือบสิบคน means just under ten people; use ประมาณสิบคน for approximately ten, where the actual number could be slightly lower or higher.
Differences from similar words
1 almost (did something) synonyms
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จวนจะ emphasizes that something is imminent and is often used for an event expected very soon. เกือบ is also widely used for past events that came close to happening but did not.
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หวิด is especially common when an accident or other undesirable event is narrowly avoided. เกือบ is more neutral and can be used with a wider range of events, including desirable ones.
2 almost synonyms
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ประมาณ means “approximately” and may refer to an amount either above or below the stated figure. เกือบ normally indicates an amount just below that figure.
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แทบ can also mean “almost,” but it is frequently used to emphasize an extreme degree. เกือบ more directly marks being just short of a number, time, or point of completion.