01
beinah
almost
Expresses that something nearly, but not quite, happened. Synonymous with 'fast' (almost).
example
Ich habe den letzten Bus beinah verpasst.
I almost missed the last bus.
beinah
almost
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
Usage tips
Word formation
The word is made up of 'bei' (by/near) and 'nah' (near). So it literally describes that an event was 'nah dabei' (close to) happening, but in the end did not happen.
EXAMPLE
Pass auf, du wärst beinah vom Stuhl gefallen!
Watch out, you almost fell off the chair!
Word order
'Beinah' (almost) can stand at the beginning of a sentence in position 1, in which case the verb follows directly. But like most adverbs, it can also stand inside the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Beinah hätte ich meinen Schlüssel vergessen.
I almost forgot my key.
Register
'Beinah' (almost) is used more in written language or in a somewhat more elevated style. In everyday colloquial speech, it is heard less often.
EXAMPLE
Der Unfall führte beinah zu einer Katastrophe.
The accident almost led to a catastrophe.
Compare with
beinah vs fast
almost
'fast' and 'beinah' both mean that something was close to happening or that only a little is missing, but it did not quite happen or was not fully achieved. In many sentences, the two words can be exchanged. 'fast' is very neutral and common in everyday language. 'beinah' sounds a little softer or more narrative, but is also easy to understand. Both words usually come directly before the word or expression they modify. The important thing is: it is always about coming close, not about a complete result.
beinah
Wegen der glatten Straße wäre ich beinah gestürzt.
Because of the slippery road, I almost fell.
fast
Wir sind fast fertig, weil nur noch eine kleine Aufgabe fehlt.
We're almost finished because only one small task is left.
In real life
Loading video examples...