HSK 4 grammar · new HSK syllabus
差点儿: nearly
差点儿 = nearly (but didn’t): 我差点儿迟到了 = I was nearly late.
Structure
- 差点儿 + verb
How it works
差点儿 before something unwanted means it almost happened but didn’t: 我差点儿忘了 = I almost forgot.
With unwanted events, 差点儿 and 差点儿没 mean the same thing: 我差点儿(没)摔倒 = I nearly fell.
With something you wanted, 差点儿没 means you nearly missed it but succeeded: 我差点儿没赶上火车 = I nearly missed the train (but caught it).
Examples
-
今天我差点儿迟到。
Jīntiān wǒ chàdiǎnr chídào.
I was nearly late today.
-
我差点儿忘了你的生日。
Wǒ chàdiǎnr wàng le nǐ de shēngrì.
I almost forgot your birthday.
-
路太滑了，我差点儿摔倒。
Lù tài huá le, wǒ chàdiǎnr shuāi dào.
The road was so slippery I nearly fell.
-
我差点儿没赶上飞机。
Wǒ chàdiǎnr méi gǎnshàng fēijī.
I very nearly missed the plane.
-
他差点儿把手机忘在出租车上。
Tā chàdiǎnr bǎ shǒujī wàng zài chūzūchē shàng.
He nearly left his phone in the taxi.
Words in these examples (22)
| 今天 | jīntiān | today | HSK 1 |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 差点儿 | chàdiǎnr | almost; nearly (happened) | HSK 4 |
| 迟到 | chídào | to be late | HSK 3 |
| 忘 | wàng | to forget | HSK 2 |
| 了 | le | (particle marking a completed action or a change) | HSK 1 |
| 你 | nǐ | you | HSK 1 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 生日 | shēngrì | birthday | HSK 2 |
| 路 | lù | road; way | HSK 2 |
| 太 | tài | too; extremely | HSK 1 |
| 滑 | huá | to slip; to slide; slippery; smooth; sly; slippery; not to be trusted | HSK 5 |
| 摔 | shuāi | to throw down; to fall; to drop and break | HSK 5 |
| 倒 | dào | to pour; on the contrary | HSK 4 |
| 赶上 | gǎnshàng | to catch up with; to make it in time for | HSK 4 |
| 飞机 | fēijī | airplane | HSK 1 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 把 | bǎ | (marks the object before the verb: 把书放好); (measure word for chairs, umbrellas) | HSK 3 |
| 手机 | shǒujī | mobile phone | HSK 1 |
| 在 | zài | to be at; at; in; (before a verb) in the middle of doing | HSK 1 |
| 出租车 | chūzūchē | taxi | HSK 1 |
| 上 | shàng | up; on; above; to go up; to get on; previous | HSK 1 |
Common mistakes
-
✗我迟到差点儿。
✓我差点儿迟到。
差点儿 comes before the verb.
-
✗我差点儿迟到了很多。
✓我差点儿迟到。
差点儿 means it didn’t happen; don’t add degree.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 我 把钥匙丢了。
2. 车太快了，我差点儿没 。
3. 他 忘了带护照。