Difference between revisions of "Expressing "almost" using "chadian mei""

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* 我 <em>差点儿 没</em> 想 起来。<span class="expl">I did recall it.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> xiǎng qǐlái.</span><span class="trans">I almost couldn't recall it.</span>
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* 我 <em>差点 没</em> 赶 上 火车。 <span class="expl">I almost missed it, but I didn't.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>chàdiǎn méi</em> gǎnshàng huǒchē.</span><span class="trans">I almost missed the train.</span>
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* 他 <em>差点 没</em> 通过 考试。<span class="expl">He did pass it, but almost didn't.</span><span class="pinyin">Tā <em>chàdiǎn méi</em> tōngguò kǎoshì.</span><span class="trans">He barely passed the examination.</span>
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* 我 <em>差点儿 没</em> 拿到 签证。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> nádào qiānzhèng.</span><span class="trans">I almost didn't get the visa.</span>
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* 排队 的 人 太 多 了,<em>差点儿 没</em> 买到。<span class="expl">I did get it.</span><span class="pinyin">Páiduì de rén tài duō le, <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> mǎidào.</span><span class="trans">The waiting line is too long. I almost didn't get it.</span>
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* 他们 两个 <em>差点儿 没</em> 通过 面试 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen liǎng gè <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> tōngguò miànshì.</span><span class="trans">The two of them almost didn't pass the interview.</span>
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* 我 <em>差点儿 没</em> 想 起来。<span class="expl">I did remember it.  </span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> xiǎng qǐlái.</span><span class="trans">I almost forgot it.</span>
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* 我 <em>差点 没</em> 赶 上 火车。 <span class="expl">I almost missed it, but I didn't.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>chàdiǎn méi</em> gǎnshàng huǒchē.</span><span class="trans">I didn't miss the train.</span>
 
* 他 <em>差点 没</em> 通过 考试。<span class="expl">He did pass it.</span><span class="pinyin">Tā <em>chàdiǎn méi</em> tōngguò kǎoshì.</span><span class="trans">He barely passed the examination.</span>
 
* 我 <em>差点儿 没</em> 买到 火车票。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> mǎi dào huǒchē piào.</span><span class="trans">I almost didn't get a train ticket.</span>
 
* 他们 两个 <em>差点儿 没</em> 打 起来。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen liǎng gè <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> dǎ qǐlái.</span><span class="trans">The two of them almost got into a fight.</span>
 
 
* 我 <em>差点儿 没</em> 和 她 撞 在 一起。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> hé tā zhuàng zài yīqǐ.</span><span class="trans">I almost ran into her.</span>
 
* 我 <em>差点儿 没</em> 和 她 撞 在 一起。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> hé tā zhuàng zài yīqǐ.</span><span class="trans">I almost ran into her.</span>
 
* 这个 地方 太 大 了,我 走 了 很 久,<em>差点儿 没</em> 累 死。<span class="pinyin">Zhège dìfāng tài dàle, wǒ zǒu le hěnjiǔ, chàdiǎnr méi lèi sǐ.</span><span class="trans">This place is too big, I walked for so long I almost died from exhaustion.</span>
 
* 这个 地方 太 大 了,我 走 了 很 久,<em>差点儿 没</em> 累 死。<span class="pinyin">Zhège dìfāng tài dàle, wǒ zǒu le hěnjiǔ, chàdiǎnr méi lèi sǐ.</span><span class="trans">This place is too big, I walked for so long I almost died from exhaustion.</span>
 
* 我 <em>差点儿 没</em>被 发现。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> bèi fāxiàn.</span><span class="trans">I was almost detected.</span>
 
* 我 <em>差点儿 没</em>被 发现。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> bèi fāxiàn.</span><span class="trans">I was almost detected.</span>
 
* 这里 <em>差点儿 没</em> 变成 一 个 垃圾场。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> biàn chéng yīgè lèsè chǎng.</span><span class="trans">This place became like a dump.</span>
 
* 这里 <em>差点儿 没</em> 变成 一 个 垃圾场。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> biàn chéng yīgè lèsè chǎng.</span><span class="trans">This place became like a dump.</span>
* 排队 的 人 太 多 了,<em>差点儿 没</em> 买到。<span class="expl">I did get it.</span><span class="pinyin">Páiduì de rén tài duō le, <em>chàdiǎnr méi</em> mǎidào.</span><span class="trans">The waiting line is too long. I almost didn't get it.</span>
 
 
 
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Revision as of 03:29, 11 November 2020

Chinese-grammar-wiki-差点.jpg

Logically, 差点没 (chàdiǎn méi) is just a simple extension of 差点, adding the negation after it. In fact, you shouldn't think of it as a single word; think of the 没 as belonging to what follows 差点 and it makes more sense. Still, it can be a little confusing for many learners, and is worth a closer look.

Logical Structure

Obviously, 差点 and 差点儿 are equivalent here.

Subj. + 差点 + 没 + Verb Phrase

Note that the "Verb Phrase" part is a desired result. So this structure is literally saying, "almost didn't [Verb Phrase]."

Also note that because you're using 没, you don't use 了 after the verb phrase.

Examples

  • 差点儿 没 想 起来。I did recall it.chàdiǎnr méi xiǎng qǐlái.I almost couldn't recall it.
  • 差点 没 赶 上 火车。 I almost missed it, but I didn't.chàdiǎn méi gǎnshàng huǒchē.I almost missed the train.
  • 差点 没 通过 考试。He did pass it, but almost didn't.chàdiǎn méi tōngguò kǎoshì.He barely passed the examination.
  • 差点儿 没 拿到 签证。chàdiǎnr méi nádào qiānzhèng.I almost didn't get the visa.
  • 排队 的 人 太 多 了,差点儿 没 买到。I did get it.Páiduì de rén tài duō le, chàdiǎnr méi mǎidào.The waiting line is too long. I almost didn't get it.
  • 他们 两个 差点儿 没 通过 面试 。Tāmen liǎng gè chàdiǎnr méi tōngguò miànshì.The two of them almost didn't pass the interview.
  • 差点儿 没 和 她 撞 在 一起。chàdiǎnr méi hé tā zhuàng zài yīqǐ.I almost ran into her.
  • 这个 地方 太 大 了,我 走 了 很 久,差点儿 没 累 死。Zhège dìfāng tài dàle, wǒ zǒu le hěnjiǔ, chàdiǎnr méi lèi sǐ.This place is too big, I walked for so long I almost died from exhaustion.
  • 差点儿 没被 发现。chàdiǎnr méi bèi fāxiàn.I was almost detected.
  • 这里 差点儿 没 变成 一 个 垃圾场。Zhèlǐ chàdiǎnr méi biàn chéng yīgè lèsè chǎng.This place became like a dump.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries

Websites

HSK5