01
fast
almost
Expresses that something is nearly or approximately the case, but not completely.
example
Ich bin fast fertig mit meiner Arbeit.
I'm almost finished with my work.
fast
almost
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Meanings
Usage tips
False friend
Careful: 'fast' means 'almost' or 'approximately'. The English word 'fast' (quickly) is 'schnell' in German.
EXAMPLE
Das Glas ist fast leer.
The glass is almost empty.
Typical collocations
'Fast' is often combined with words that describe an endpoint or an extreme, for example 'fast fertig' (almost finished), 'fast voll' (almost full), 'fast immer' (almost always), or 'fast nie' (almost never).
EXAMPLE
Wir sind fast am Ziel.
We're almost at the destination.
Use with negations
You can combine 'fast' with negative words like 'nichts' (nothing), 'niemand' (nobody), or 'kein' (no/not any) to express that only a very small amount is present.
EXAMPLE
Im Kühlschrank ist fast nichts mehr.
There is almost nothing left in the fridge.
Compare with
fast vs ganz
whole / quite
'ganz' and 'fast' often come before similar words, but they mean the opposite in one important respect. 'ganz' means that something is completely the case. 'fast' means that something is almost the case, but not quite. Learners easily confuse them because both have to do with completeness. The difference is very important in practice: 'ganz fertig' means finished; 'fast fertig' means not finished yet.
fast
Ich bin fast fertig, ich brauche nur noch fünf Minuten.
I'm almost finished; I just need five more minutes.
ganz
Nach zwei Stunden war der Bericht ganz fertig.
After two hours, the report was completely finished.
In real life
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