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presque

almost

adverb PRES-kuh Common
Descriptions & Qualities Degree

Origin: Univerbation of près (near) + que (that).

Also means

nearly

Usage Note

Presque immediately precedes the word it modifies and does not elide before a vowel — you write presque impossible, not presqu'impossible (the exception is presqu'île, meaning peninsula). It contrasts with à peine (barely, hardly), which expresses the opposite extreme. Presque rien means 'almost nothing' and presque tout means 'almost everything.'

Examples

"C'est presque l'heure du déjeuner."

Natural Translation

It's almost lunchtime.

Literal Translation

It-is almost the-hour of-the lunch.

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