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几乎 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
几乎jīhūalmostHSK 3, d, 7 strokes, rank #1064, Medium
几乎jīhūnearlyHSK 3, d, 7 strokes, rank #1064, Medium
几乎jīhūpracticallyHSK 3, d, 7 strokes, rank #1064, Medium
jīhū(ji1hu1)ji hu T1
  1. 1almost
  2. 2nearly
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March 24, 2026

几乎(幾乎)jīhū(ji1hu1)

The term '几乎' (jī hū) means 'almost' or 'nearly', indicating that something is very close to being true or happening, but not quite. It is commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese to describe situations that are nearly complete or to express a high degree of certainty about a statement, while still allowing for a small margin of error.

Strokes7Frequency#1064DifficultyMedium
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 'almost' or 'nearly' reflects a common attitude of humility and caution, often seen in expressions of success or achievement where one might downplay their accomplishments.

Memory tip

Imagine a person on a tightrope (几) balancing precariously, nearly (乎) falling off, but staying upright. This image helps you remember that '几乎' signifies being very close to a condition or outcome.

Meanings of 几乎

jīhū(ji1hu1)
1almost
2nearly
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 几乎

几乎Simplified
幾乎Traditional
7Strokes
—Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#1064Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

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Podcast: 几乎

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AI study notes for 几乎

Quick Contrast

快要 (kuàiyào, about to) - use '几乎' when something is nearly true but not imminent, while '快要' indicates an event is on the verge of happening.

Usage Notes

'几乎' is used in both formal and informal contexts, but learners often misuse it when they want to say 'very' or 'much', where '非常' (fēi cháng) would be more appropriate. A common collocation is '几乎所有' (jī hū suǒ yǒu), meaning 'almost all'. Be careful with the pronunciation; ensure the first tone is clear.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 3 word, '几乎' connects with other adverbs of degree like '非常' (fēi cháng) and '差不多' (chà bù duō). Focus on recognizing its usage in sentences and practicing it in contexts where you describe approximation or near completion.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '几乎' with '几乎不' (jī hū bù) which means 'hardly' or 'almost not', leading to incorrect sentences like '我几乎不喜欢这本书' (I almost don't like this book). The correct usage should clarify the context to match the intended meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 几乎

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Component characters

几jǐhow much
HSK 12 strokes几
View full entry
乎hū(classical particle similar to 於
HSK 65 strokes丿
View full entry

How to say almost in Chinese

“almost” in Chinese is几乎jīhū

The term '几乎' (jī hū) means 'almost' or 'nearly', indicating that something is very close to being true or happening, but not quite. It is commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese to describe situations that are nearly complete or to express a high degree of certainty about a statement, while still allowing for a small margin of error.

When to use 几乎

'几乎' is used in both formal and informal contexts, but learners often misuse it when they want to say 'very' or 'much', where '非常' (fēi cháng) would be more appropriate. A common collocation is '几乎所有' (jī hū suǒ yǒu), meaning 'almost all'. Be careful with the pronunciation; ensure the first tone is clear.

几乎 or something close to it

快要 (kuàiyào, about to) - use '几乎' when something is nearly true but not imminent, while '快要' indicates an event is on the verge of happening.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse '几乎' with '几乎不' (jī hū bù) which means 'hardly' or 'almost not', leading to incorrect sentences like '我几乎不喜欢这本书' (I almost don't like this book). The correct usage should clarify the context to match the intended meaning.

Write 几乎

几
乎

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Grammar patterns of 几乎

几乎 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 3

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

他的话我____都没听懂。

I barely understood anything he said.

Example sentences for 几乎 (14)

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1
他们的血喷了我一身。我几乎昏了过去。

tāmen de xuè pēn le wǒ yìshēn。 wǒ jīhū hūn le guòqù。

They spurted blood all over me. I nearly passed out.
2
现有的住房几乎少有质量过关的。

xiànyǒu de zhùfáng jīhū shǎoyǒu zhìliàng guòguān de。

Little of the existing housing is of good enough quality.
3
不幸的是,几乎不可能看到这些重大问题得到回复。

búxìng de shì, jīhū bù kěnéng kàndào zhèxiē zhòngdà wèntí dédào huífù。

Unfortunately, there is little prospect of seeing these big questions answered.
4
城市公园是理想去处,那里几乎一年四季鲜花盛开。

chéngshì gōngyuán shì lǐxiǎng qùchù, nàlǐ jīhū yīniánsìjì xiānhuā shèngkāi。

Town gardens are ideal because they produce flowers nearly all year round.
5
她几乎是一手改变了英国政治的面貌。

tā jīhū shì yìshǒu gǎibiàn le Yīng guó zhèngzhì de miànmào。

She changed the face of British politics almost single-handed.
6
T恤衫现在几乎成了伦敦西区时尚人士的必备之物。

T xù shān xiànzài jīhū chéng le lún dūn xī Ōu shíshàng rénshì de bì bèi zhī wù。

T-shirts now seem almost de rigueur in the West End.
7
她十分疼爱自己的孩子,几乎到了溺爱的程度。

tā shífēn téngài zìjǐ de háizi, jīhū dào le nì ài de chéngdù。

She loved her own children, almost smothering them with love.
8
这几乎就是苏格兰局势的翻版。

zhè jīhū jiùshì sū gé lán júshì de fān bǎn。

This is almost the mirror image of the situation in Scotland.
9
评论家们几乎一致贬抑这本书。

pínglùn jiā men jīhū yízhì biǎn yì zhè běn shū。

Reviewers have been almost unanimous in their disparagement of this book.
10
这只14磅的猫这么胖,几乎连路都走不动了。

zhè zhī14 bàng de māo zhème pán, jīhū lián lù dōu zǒu bù dòng le。

The 14lb feline is so fat she can hardly walk.
11
这个蛋糕太好吃了,我几乎吃了一整块。

Zhège dàngāo tài hǎochī le, wǒ jīhū chī le yì zhěng kuài.

This cake is so delicious, I almost ate the whole piece.
12
他努力工作,几乎每天都加班。

Tā nǔlì gōngzuò, jīhū měitiān dōu jiābān.

He works hard and almost works overtime every day.
13
她准备得很好,几乎没有出错。

Tā zhǔnbèi de hěn hǎo, jīhū méiyǒu chūcuò.

She prepared well and almost made no mistakes.
14
由于下雨,活动几乎被取消了。

Yóuyú xiàyǔ, huódòng jīhū bèi qǔxiāo le.

Due to the rain, the event was almost canceled.

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Frequently asked questions about 几乎

No, '几乎' implies that something is very close to being true or done, so it wouldn't fit well with complete failure.

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