<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops"> <head> <title>Expressing "almost" using "chadian mei"</title> <link href="../Styles/main.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet"/> </head> <body> <h1>Expressing "almost" using "chadian mei"</h1> <p>Logically, 差点没 is not that different from 差点. 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, and is worth a closer look.</p> <h2>Contents</h2> <div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 Logical Structure </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 Examples </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 See also </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 Sources and further reading </span></li> <ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.1 Books </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.2 Dictionaries </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.3 Websites</span></li> </ul> </ul> </div> <h3>Logical Structure</h3> <div class="deux">Subj. + 差点 + 没 + Verb Phrase</div> <p>Note that the "Verb Phrase" part is a desired result. So this structure is literally saying, "almost didn't [Verb Phrase]."</p> <p>Also note that because you're using 没, you don't use 了 after the verb phrase.</p> <h3>Examples</h3> <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我 差点儿 没 想 起来。I did remember it. Wǒ chàdiǎnr méi xiǎng qǐlái. I almost forgot it. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我 差点 没 赶 上 火车。 I almost missed it, but I didn't. Wǒ chàdiǎn méi gǎnshàng huǒchē. I didn't miss the train. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">他 差点 没 通过 考试。He did pass it. Tā chàdiǎn méi tōngguò kǎoshì. He barely passed the examination. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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.</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h3>See also</h3> <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Expressing "almost" using "chadian"</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h3>Sources and further reading</h3> <h4>Books</h4> <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 112) [ →buy]</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h4>Dictionaries</h4> <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">现代汉语词典（第5版） (pp. 145) →buy</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h4>Websites</h4> <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">http://wenku.baidu.com/view/129e1b0f7cd184254b35358f.html</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> </body> </html>