Level 2

거의

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Usage of '거의'

'거의' is an adverb used to express that something is 'almost' or 'nearly' the case. It is very common in everyday Korean and can modify verbs, adjectives, or time expressions.

Common Contexts

You will often hear '거의' when talking about frequency (e.g., 거의 매일 - almost every day), quantity (거의 다 - almost all), or time (거의 두 시간 - almost two hours).

Collocations and Patterns

  • 거의 + verb: to indicate an action happens almost
  • 거의 + adjective: to express a state is nearly true
  • 거의 다: almost all or nearly finished

Register and Politeness

'거의' is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts without changing form.

Common Mistake

Learners sometimes confuse '거의' with '조금' (a little). Remember, '거의' implies something is close to completion or entirety, while '조금' means a small amount or degree.

Example Sentences

나는 거의 매일 운동을 한다.

Naneun geoui maeil undongeul handa.

I exercise almost every day.

그 영화는 거의 두 시간이 걸렸다.

Geu yeonghwaneun geoui du sigani geollyeotda.

That movie took almost two hours.

거의 다 끝났어요. 조금만 기다려 주세요.

Geoui da kkeutnasseoyo. Jogeumman gidaryeo juseyo.

It's almost finished. Please wait just a little longer.