ya casi
/ʝa kasi/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'almost there' is translated into Spanish as ya casi.
Ya casi is used to indicate that someone is very close to reaching a destination or completing a task. It can be used as a standalone exclamation to mean 'almost there' or 'nearly there'. Additionally, the expression A punto de llegar can be used to suggest that you are on the verge of arriving.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ya casi literally translates to 'already almost'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The variations casi llegamos ya and ya nos falta poco are regional ways to say 'almost there'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, ya casi often functions as an adverbial phrase used to modify a verb, such as in the phrase ya casi termino (I'm almost finished).
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying ya casi llego when you are actually still at home is a common social white lie to avoid appearing late.
- The word casi is a 'semi-learned borrowing', meaning it was re-introduced into Spanish by scholars from Latin rather than evolving naturally through common speech like many other words.
- The word ya can act as a powerful temporal marker that shifts from meaning 'already' to meaning 'now' depending entirely on the context of the sentence.
Examples in context
- Ya casi llegamos allí.We're almost there.This sentence is useful for showing how to say 'We're almost there' using ya casi.Tatoeba #6606857 by UsuarioX, translation #71664 by CK
- Venga, ya casi hemos llegado.Come on, we're almost there.This sentence is useful for showing how to encourage someone by saying 'Come on, we're almost there' using ya casi.Tatoeba #7366130 by arh, translation #4665825 by CK
- Ya casi.Almost there.This sentence is useful for using ya casi as a short, standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #13116979 by mexicanhere, translation #2833916 by shekitten
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are hiking up a mountain.
- MateoEstoy muy cansado, Sofía.I am very tired, Sofía.
- SofíaNo te rindas, ya casi llegamos.Don't give up, we're almost there.
- Mateo¿Cuánto falta para la cima?How much further to the top?
- SofíaMira, ya casi estamos arriba.Look, we are almost there.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries casi, ya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
