เกือบ

Almost

Level 3

Use เกือบ to mean 'almost' or 'nearly.' It comes before the event, state, or amount that is close to being reached.

How It Works

เกือบ (low tone, gèuap) means 'almost' or 'nearly.'

  • Placement: Put เกือบ before the verb, state, or quantity it modifies. In เหนื่อยเกือบตาย, it comes before ตาย: 'so tired I could almost die.' Phrases such as เกือบแล้ว or เกือบไปแล้ว can omit information that is clear from the conversation.
  • With Identities: To say someone almost became a doctor, use เป็น: เกือบจะเป็น. Before a quantity phrase, a separate verb is not needed: เกือบทุกคน means 'almost everyone,' using ทุก. The word ทั้ง also occurs in phrases referring to a whole group.
  • เกือบ vs. เกือบจะ: Before a verb, เกือบ and เกือบจะ (with จะ) often express the same 'almost' meaning. Adding จะ does not by itself make the phrase a prediction about the future.
  • เกือบ vs. ใกล้จะ: เกือบ places something just short of a point. In a past event, it often means the event did not happen. ใกล้จะ usually says an event is approaching, or that something is nearly ready.
  • เกือบ vs. แทบจะ / แทบจะไม่: แทบจะ can mean 'almost' or 'practically.' แทบจะไม่ means 'hardly' or 'almost not' and describes a very small amount, degree, or frequency.
  • Time and Quantity: Before a number or time expression, เกือบ means a little below that point. เกือบทั้งหมด, using ทั้งหมด, means 'almost all.'
  • Negative Events: เกือบไม่ทัน means 'almost not in time': the speaker only just made it. The whole negative phrase is what nearly happened.
  • Close Calls: หวิด can also describe a narrow escape or an event that nearly happened.

Examples (6)

  1. เหนื่อยเกือบตาย

    I'm tired to death.

    Word by Word: tired almost die

    An everyday exaggeration meaning 'I'm extremely tired.' เกือบ still comes before ตาย, 'die'; the phrase เกือบตาย makes เหนื่อย stronger.

  2. เกือบห้าโมงเย็นแล้ว

    It's almost 5 p.m. already.

    Word by Word: almost five o'clock evening already

    When used with time, 'เกือบ' indicates the time is approaching a specific hour. The addition of แล้ว emphasizes the current state.

  3. เขาเกือบถูกรถชน

    He was almost hit by a car.

    Word by Word: he almost [passive marker] car hit

    This uses the passive marker ถูก. It implies the accident did NOT actually happen (a near-miss).

  4. เราเรียนไทยมาเกือบหกเดือนแล้ว

    We have been studying Thai for almost six months now.

    Word by Word: we study Thai come almost six month already

    In this case, 'เกือบ' modifies the quantity 'หกเดือน' (six months).

  5. เกือบไม่ทัน

    I almost didn't make it in time.

    Word by Word: almost not in-time

    When combined with ไม่, it means 'almost not.' This describes a close call where you barely succeeded.

  6. เกือบทั้งหมด

    Almost all of it.

    Word by Word: almost all

    This is a very common phrase using ทั้งหมด to mean 'nearly everything' or 'almost all'.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing 'เกือบ' after the verb.

    ผมลืมเกือบ
    ผมเกือบลืม

    In English, we might say 'I forgot, almost,' but in Thai, the adverb 'เกือบ' usually precedes the verb it modifies.

  • Using 'เกือบ' directly before a noun for identities or professions.

    เขาเกือบหมอ
    เขาเกือบจะเป็นหมอ

    When saying 'almost a [noun]' (like a profession), you must use the verb เป็น (to be). However, you can place 'เกือบ' directly before nouns modified by words like ทุก (every), such as 'เกือบทุกคน' (almost everyone).

Words in This Pattern

เกือบ