แทบ

Explanation

The core image of แทบ is coming very close to a boundary, outcome, or limit. In the pattern แทบ (จะ) + verb, it means that an event almost happened. จะ is common in this construction but may be omitted in other patterns. Before words expressing a total, it indicates that something is close to the whole amount: แทบทุกวัน means “almost every day,” and แทบทั้งหมด means “almost all of it.” With negatives such as ไม่, ไม่มี, and ไม่ได้, it shows that an amount or frequency is close to zero. For example, แทบไม่ได้นอน means that the person slept very little, rather than necessarily not sleeping at all. It also appears in conversational exaggerations such as แทบตาย, literally “almost die,” to emphasize an extreme degree.

Usage

It is common in both conversation and writing. Use it when something nearly happened, when an amount or frequency is close to complete, or when very little time, money, sleep, or anything else remains. It is also natural in conversational exaggerations about strong feelings or extreme conditions.

Caution

แทบ is not negative by itself. To mean “hardly” or “almost no,” it must combine with a negative such as ไม่, ไม่มี, or ไม่ได้. For example, แทบทุกคน means “almost everyone,” while แทบไม่มีใคร means “hardly anyone.” Do not confuse it with the similarly spelled แถบ, a different word meaning “strip,” “area,” or “around this area.”

1 almost synonyms

• เกือบ

  kʉ̀ap almost

  เกือบ is especially common when an event came close to happening. แทบ can be used similarly, but it also commonly modifies quantities and frequencies or combines with negative expressions, as in แทบทุกวัน “almost every day” and แทบไม่ได้นอน “hardly slept.”