How to Say "Almost" in Portuguese

quase

/ˈkwa.zi/

The Portuguese word for 'almost' is quase.

quase is an adverb used to indicate that something is very close to happening, being or being a certain amount, but has not quite reached that state.

Meaning: very close to (adv)

How do you pronounce it?

The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkwa.zi/.

In Brazil, people often use quase as a standalone exclamation to express that they almost had a heart attack or a fright, even if no physical danger was present.
The word quase is a cognate of the English word 'quasi'. While 'quasi' is mostly used in formal or academic English, quase is a common every-day word in Portuguese.
In some Portuguese-speaking contexts, saying someone is quase a certain profession can be a humorous way to describe someone who acts like it without the title.

Tom quase não ri.
Tom almost never laughs.
This sentence shows how to use quase to describe how often someone laughs.
Tatoeba #6616617 by bill, translation #6355954 by CK
Já são quase seis.
It's almost six.
This sentence uses quase to describe a time that is close to six.
Tatoeba #1006096 by alexmarcelo, translation #519311 by CK
Eu quase fiz isso.
I almost did it.
This sentence shows the use of quase when describing an action that nearly occurred.
Tatoeba #5115499 by ianna, translation #2474797 by Opiejay888
Quase 100 pessoas compareceram à conferência.
Almost 100 people attended the conference.
Por pouco não perdi o último ônibus.
I almost missed the last bus.
897 more sentences on Tatoeba

Lucas and Mariana are waiting for a bus.

Sources

Wiktionary, “almost” translations and entries quase, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries quase, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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