Korean word

거의

Pronunciation

Romanizationkeoui

Meaning

  • adverbalmost

Example

저는 거의 다 먹었어요.cheo neun keo ui ta meo geo sseo yo

I ate almost all of it.

Illustration for 거의 (almost)

More examples

영화가 거의 끝났어요.yeong hwa ga keo ui kkeun na sseo yo

The movie is almost over.

Core concept

Most of something is already done or present, and only a little remains.

Common phrases

  • 거의 다keo ui ta

    almost all

  • 거의 없다keo ui eop tta

    almost none

  • 거의 매일keo ui mae il

    almost every day

Similar words

대부분taebubun: A large part of a whole has the same quality or result.
주로churo: A situation, habit, or activity mainly centers on one part.
대체로taechero: A general statement describes the overall pattern rather than each detail.

Definition in Korean

어떤 일이나 상태가 거의 다 이루어졌거나 남은 것이 아주 적음을 나타내는 부사.eo tteon i ri na sang tae ga keo ui ta i ru eo jeot kkeo na na meun keo si a ju cheo geu meul na ta nae neun pu sa

Word origin

The exact historical development of 거의 (geoui, "almost") is uncertain, though it is a native Korean adverb.

Usage tips

  • English almost works in both positive and negative sentences, so nearly finished and almost unable to do something need different context.

Opposites

Word lists with this word