presque
/pʁɛsk/
The English phrase 'almost' is translated into French as presque. Wiktionary also lists quasiment.
Meaning: very close to (adv)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| presque | /pʁɛsk/ |
| quasiment | /ka.zi.mɑ̃/ |
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adverb, presque does not change its form based on the gender or number of the words it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/pʁɛsk/
Did you know?
- If you are 'almost' finished with a task, you might say you êtes à deux doigts de finir, which literally translates to 'at two fingers of' finishing.
- The word presque is a combination of the word près, meaning 'near', and the conjunction que, meaning 'than'. It literally functions as if saying 'near than'.
- The word quasiment shares a common root with the English word 'quasi', but it is much more common in daily French conversation than 'quasi' is in English.
Examples in context
- On y est presque.We are almost there.This sentence is useful for showing how to express being near a destination with presque.Tatoeba #6151360 by sacredceltic, translation #3733395 by CK
- Tu es presque mort.You almost died.This sentence is useful for illustrating a near-death experience using presque.Tatoeba #4653793 by sacredceltic, translation #1895830 by CK
- Tu m'as presque eu.You almost had me.This sentence is useful for showing how to describe being nearly tricked with presque.Tatoeba #11928404 by lbdx, translation #3722614 by CM
- J'ai presque fini mon rapport.I have almost finished my report.
- Nous sommes presque arrivés à l'heure.We almost arrived on time.
- C'était quasiment impossible de le faire comprendre.It was almost impossible to make him understand.
- Je suis quasiment certain que cela fonctionnera.I am almost certain that it will work.
- J'ai presque terminé mon dessert. Tu veux une bouchée ?I almost finished my dessert. Do you want a bite?
- On est presque arrivés à la gare. Il faut juste marcher un peu plus vite.We're almost at the train station. We just need to walk a bit faster.
- J'ai à peu près fini de préparer le dîner.I'm almost done preparing dinner.
- 771 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are finishing a puzzle together.
- EmmaLe puzzle est presque fini !The puzzle is almost finished!
- LucasIl ne reste que deux pièces.There are only two pieces left.
- EmmaJe crois que j'ai presque trouvé la place.I think I've almost found the spot.
- LucasOui, Lucas a raison, c'est là.Yes, Lucas is right, it is there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “almost” translations and entries presque, quasiment, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries presque, quasiment, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
