ледзь не

Almost with Ледзь Не

Level 5Sounds Like ledzʹ ne

Ледзь не + past = almost happened: Я ледзь не спазніўся (I was almost late). Ледзь alone = barely: ледзь паспеў (barely made it).

How It Works

Ледзь не: almost, but it did not happen. Put ледзь не before a perfective past-tense verb: Я ледзь не спазніўся на цягнік. (I almost missed the train.) The speaker was not late. Ледзь не is common for close calls and accidents: Ён ледзь не ўпаў. (He nearly fell.)

Here не does not make the sentence negative. It is part of the phrase, so the event is described as nearly happening.

Ледзь: barely, and it did happen. Without не, ледзь means barely or with difficulty:

  • Мы ледзь паспелі на цягнік. We caught the train, but only just.
  • ледзь чутна (barely audible), ледзь цёплы (barely warm)
  • ледзь-ледзь (ever so slightly)

With amounts. Ледзь не can also stand before a number or quantity: ледзь не палова класа (almost half the class).

Spelling. Because не ends in a vowel, a verb starting with у is written with ў: ледзь не ўпаў. See у and ў after a vowel.

Амаль also means almost. It is the neutral everyday word, and it is the usual choice for progress and amounts: Я амаль скончыў. (I have almost finished.) With амаль there is no не: Я амаль упаў and Я ледзь не ўпаў both mean I almost fell.

In books you may also see ледзь as a time word meaning as soon as, often as ледзь толькі. For an action that started and was then cut off, see было with the past tense.

Examples (5)

  1. Я ледзь не спазніўся на цягнік.

    I almost missed the train.

    Word by Word: I barely not was-late for train.

    Said by a man; a woman says спазнілася. The speaker was not late.

  2. Ён ледзь не ўпаў з лесвіцы.

    He nearly fell off the ladder.

    Word by Word: He barely not fell from ladder.

  3. Я ледзь не забыў пра твой дзень нараджэння.

    I almost forgot your birthday.

    Word by Word: I barely not forgot about your day of-birth.

  4. Мы ледзь паспелі на апошні цягнік.

    We barely caught the last train.

    Word by Word: We barely made-it to last train.

    No не: they did catch it, but only just.

  5. Ледзь не палова класа захварэла.

    Almost half the class got sick.

    Word by Word: Barely not half of-class fell-ill.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out не when you mean that something almost happened.

    Я ледзь упаў.
    Я ледзь не ўпаў.

    The intended meaning is I nearly fell. Without не, ледзь means barely, so the sentence says the fall did happen, only just. Use ледзь не for a close call.

  • Writing у instead of ў after не.

    Ён ледзь не упаў з лесвіцы.
    Ён ледзь не ўпаў з лесвіцы.

    Не ends in a vowel, so the next word's initial у becomes ў.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ледзь неLevel 5Almost with Ледзь Не

Learn This First

Almost needs the perfective.

Words in This Pattern

ледзьне