German word

beinahe

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbaɪ̯naːə/

Meaning

  • adverbalmost

Example

Ich habe beinahe den Bus verpasst.

I almost missed the bus.

Illustration for beinahe (almost)

More examples

Er hat beinahe die Prüfung bestanden.

He almost passed the exam.

Core concept

A bus door is closing as a passenger reaches it, with only one step separating arrival from missing it.

Common phrases

  • beinahe den Bus verpassen

    almost miss the bus

  • beinahe zu spät kommen

    almost be late

  • beinahe einen Fehler machen

    almost make a mistake

Similar words

fast: Indicates that nearly all of something is present or complete.
knapp: Describes a result that could change because of a narrow margin or short time.
so gut wie: Indicates that something is effectively true, although not literally so.
praktisch: Indicates that something is almost true when judged by practical consequences.

Definition in German

Drückt aus, dass etwas knapp vor dem Eintreten stand oder nur wenig fehlte.

Word origin

Beinahe developed from the German elements bei, meaning 'near', and nahe, meaning 'near', as closeness acquired the limiting sense 'almost'.

Usage tips

  • In Beinahe hätte er den Bus verpasst, the subjunctive hätte presents the missed event as a near possibility, while the sentence means he did not miss it.

Opposites

Word lists with this word