casi

Casi is a Spanish adverb meaning almost or nearly. It expresses proximity to a limit of quantity, degree, or time and can modify adjectives, verbs, or whole clauses. Common collocations include casi siempre (almost always), casi nunca (almost never), casi todo (almost everything), and casi nadie (almost nobody). It also appears in constructions such as casi no + [verb], which emphasize a near absence: casi no tengo tiempo.

Grammatical notes: Casi is invariable; it does not change for gender or number. It typically precedes the word it modifies and can describe actions, states, or qualities that are close to occurring or being true. When used before a verb, it indicates that the action nearly occurred or that the result is close to completion, as in casi terminó la tarea or casi llega a tiempo.

Etymology and related forms: The word derives from Latin quasi, meaning “as if” or “almost,” and is cognate with similar forms in other Romance languages, such as Italian quasi. In Spanish, the meaning shifted to express approximation rather than similarity.

Usage considerations: In terms of nuance, casi signals informal, everyday language. For precise approximations, Spanish favors terms like aproximadamente or cerca de, whereas casi conveys a qualitative closeness rather than an exact figure.

Overall, casi is a versatile adverb used to indicate that something is not quite reached or realized, while retaining a sense of immediacy and relatability in speech.