几乎

• Pinyin: jī hū
• Hanzi breakdown: 几 = a small table shape, meaning 'how many' or 'nearly'; 乎 = a classical particle indicating exclamation or approximation

Meaning

Almost; nearly; practically. Indicates that something is very close to being complete or true, but not entirely so.

A very common adverb in both spoken and written Chinese. Can modify verbs, adjectives, or entire clauses. Common patterns include 几乎每天 (almost every day), 几乎所有 (almost all), and 几乎不 (hardly/almost never). Useful for expressing near-totality without absolute certainty.

Examples

1. 他几乎每天都去图书馆学习。 He goes to the library to study almost every day.
2. 这件事几乎所有人都知道了。 Almost everyone knows about this matter.
3. 她几乎没有休息就继续工作了。 She continued working with hardly any rest.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, description, writing

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 我几乎忘了今天是你的生日。(I almost forgot today is your birthday.)
• 他几乎不吃甜食。(He hardly ever eats sweets.)

Don't Say

• 我几乎完全做完了 (Avoid pairing 几乎 with 完全 — they contradict each other; say 我几乎做完了 or 我完全做完了)

Origin & History

几 (jī, how many/nearly) + 乎 (hū, particle expressing exclamation) — together forming an adverb meaning 'very nearly' or 'on the verge of.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal