French word

presque

Pronunciation

IPA/pʁɛsk/

Meaning

  • adverbalmost

Example

C'est presque parfait.

It's almost perfect.

Illustration for presque (almost)

More examples

Il est presque toujours en retard.

He is almost always late.

Core concept

A point lies immediately before a boundary, so the expected state is reached but not fully reached.

Common phrases

  • presque toujours

    almost always

  • presque jamais

    almost never

  • presque tout

    almost everything

Similar words

à peu près: Shows an approximate amount or number when exactness is not important.
pratiquement: Indicates that something is almost in a given state in practical terms.
quasiment: Shows that completion or a degree is extremely close, with only a slight gap remaining.

Definition in French

Sert à marquer qu'il manque un petit élément pour que quelque chose soit complet ou vrai.

Word origin

Presque is an inherited French formation from Old French pres que, whose parts expressed the idea of being near a stated fact or result.

Usage tips

  • Presque pas means 'hardly' or 'almost not', as in Je ne dors presque pas.

Opposites

Related words

  • presqu'îlepeninsulanoun

Word lists with this word