hầu như
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adverb:
- Almost, nearly: Indicates that something is very close to being a certain way or to happening, but not completely or exactly. It expresses a high degree of approximation.
- Virtually, practically: Suggests that for all practical purposes, something is the case, even if not technically 100% true.
Usage Examples
- Adverb:
- Công việc đã hầu như hoàn thành. (The work is almost finished.)
- Cô ấy hầu như không bao giờ đến muộn. (She almost never arrives late.)
- Căn phòng hầu như trống rỗng. (The room is practically empty.)
- Sau trận bão, thị trấn hầu như bị phá hủy hoàn toàn. (After the storm, the town was virtually destroyed.)
Advanced Usage
- "Hầu như + không + Verb": This structure emphasizes the near absence or extreme rarity of an action. It translates to "hardly," "scarcely," or "almost not."
- Anh ấy hầu như không nói gì trong cả buổi họp. (He hardly said anything during the entire meeting.)
- "Hầu như + là + Noun/Adjective": Used to strongly qualify a noun or adjective, meaning "it is almost the case that..."
- Đó hầu như là một phép màu. (That was practically a miracle.)
- Họ hầu như là người nước ngoài duy nhất ở đó. (They were virtually the only foreigners there.)
Variants and Related Words
- Gần như: A very close synonym, also meaning "almost" or "nearly." The two are often interchangeable.
- Tôi gần như quên mất cuộc hẹn. (I almost forgot the appointment.)
- Suýt (nữa) thì: Used specifically for events that very nearly happened but did not, often with negative consequences avoided. It translates to "almost," "nearly," or "was on the verge of."
- Tôi suýt (nữa) thì bị ngã. (I almost fell.)
Synonyms
- Phần lớn: For the most part, mostly (focuses on a large proportion rather than near-totality).
- Đại để, đại khái: Roughly, approximately, in general terms (focuses on approximation rather than closeness to a limit).
Related Phrases
- Hầu hết: This is a different word meaning "most (of)" or "the majority of." Do not confuse with hầu như.
- Hầu hết mọi người đều đồng ý. (Most people agree.)
- Compare: Hầu như mọi người đều đồng ý. (Almost everyone agrees.)
- Almost