German word

beinah

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbaɪ̯naː/

Meaning

  • adverbalmost

Example

Das Glas ist beinah voll.

The glass is nearly full.

Illustration for beinah (almost)

More examples

Beim Überqueren der Straße wurde er beinah überfahren.

When he was crossing the street, he was almost run over.

Core concept

A glass reaches the brim with only a tiny gap left, but the final point is not reached.

Common phrases

  • beinah verpasst

    almost missed

  • beinah überfahren

    almost run over

  • beinah den Sieg verloren

    almost lost the victory

Similar words

fast: Nearly at a specified amount or level.
gerade noch: Only just in time, with almost no margin left.
knapp: Decided by a tiny difference or a small amount remaining.

Definition in German

beinah drückt aus, dass etwas knapp vor dem Eintreten steht; es bedeutet fast, aber noch nicht ganz.

Word origin

Beinah is a shortened form of beinahe, built from bei, meaning 'by' or 'at', and nahe, meaning 'near'; the sense of physical nearness developed into 'almost'.

Usage tips

  • Beinah is common in spoken German as the shortened form of beinahe, while beinahe is the fuller form often preferred in edited writing.

Opposites

Word lists with this word