差点儿(chàdiǎnr)
Almost / Nearly
Structure Pattern
Explanation
差点儿 (chàdiǎnr) means "almost" or "nearly." For negative things, it means "almost happened but didn't" (relief). The tricky part: with undesirable events, 差点儿没 still means "almost" (the 没 is optional and doesn't change the meaning).
Example Sentences
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Wǒ chàdiǎnr chídào le.
I almost arrived late.
Tā chàdiǎnr shuāi dǎo.
He almost fell down.
Wǒ chàdiǎnr wàng le.
I almost forgot.
Chàdiǎnr méi gǎn shàng fēijī.
Almost missed the plane.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistake
我差点儿赶上火车。
Correct Usage
我差点儿没赶上火车。
Foreigners often omit 没 or 不 when they mean 'almost didn't do something (but actually did)'. '我差点儿赶上火车' means 'I almost caught the train (but I didn't)', which is the opposite of the intended meaning 'I almost missed the train (but I caught it)'.
Master 差点儿
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