fast
/fast/
The German word for 'almost' is fast. Wiktionary also lists beinahe and so gut wie.
Meaning: very close to (adv)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| fast | /fast/ /faʃt/ |
| beinahe | /baɪ̯ˈnaːə/ |
| so gut wie | /zoː ɡuːt viː/ (word by word) |
Which one should you use?
fast is the most common and versatile way to express 'almost' in German. beinahe is another way to say 'almost'. so gut wie is an idiomatic expression used when something is 'virtually' or 'as good as' a certain state, and it is often used with nouns or adjectives.
How do you pronounce it?
/fast/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse the German fast (meaning 'almost') with the English word 'fast' (meaning 'quick'). In German, the word for 'quick' or 'speedy' is schnell.
Did you know?
- While the English word 'fast' usually means 'quick', the German word fast is etymologically related to the English meaning of 'fast' as in 'stuck fast' or 'held firmly'.
- German speakers may use beinahe more often than fast when describing a 'near miss' or a narrow escape from a disaster.
- While fast means 'almost', the closely related word fest means 'firm' or 'solid'. These two words share the same ancient Germanic ancestor.
Examples in context
- Tom ist fast da.Tom is almost there.This sentence shows how to use fast to describe someone's proximity.Tatoeba #8865893 by wolfgangth, translation #2272914 by CK
- Es ist fast neu.It's almost new.This sentence shows how to use fast with an adjective.Tatoeba #9950409 by wolfgangth, translation #9443609 by CK
- Es ist fast Mai.It's almost May.This sentence shows how to use fast to describe a time or month.Tatoeba #9991681 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #9991675 by shekitten
- Ich war beinahe zu spätI was almost late
- Die Arbeit ist fast erledigtThe work is almost done
- Das Projekt ist nahezu perfektThe project is almost perfect
- Ich bin fast fertigI'm almost done
- Es ist so gut wie erledigtIt is almost done
- Ich bin knapp dem Verkehrsstau entkommenI barely escaped the traffic jam
- Das ist quasi fertigThat is almost finished
- Ich bin beinahe zu spät zur Arbeit gekommen.I almost arrived late to work.
- Das Essen ist fast fertig.The food is almost ready.
- Der Zug ist so gut wie weg.The train is almost gone.
- Wir haben das Ziel beinahe erreicht.We have almost reached the goal.
- Die Präsentation war nahezu perfekt.The presentation was almost perfect.
- 1645 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are discussing a difficult task at work.
- LauraBist du mit dem Bericht fast fertig?Are you almost finished with the report?
- MaximilianJa, ich bin fast fertig.Yes, I am almost finished.
- LauraDas ist toll, Maximilian!That is great, Maximilian!
- MaximilianDanke, Laura.Thanks, Laura.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “almost” translations and entries fast, beinahe, so gut wie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (so, gut, wie) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beinahe, fast, gut, so, wie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
