adverbial N2 common casualpolitewritten
もう少しで — almost
もう少しで ・ もうすこしで
Meaning
- almost / nearly / very nearly (a near-miss) — something very nearly happened but didn't, usually a narrow escape
Key sentence
もう少しで電車に乗り遅れるところだった。
I almost missed the train.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| adverb; often with 〜ところだった / 〜そうだった | もう少しで + [near-miss event] + ところだった | もう少しで転ぶところだった |
Examples
もう少しで答えが分かりそうだったのに。
I was so close to figuring out the answer.
もう少しで完成だ。
It's almost finished.
When you can't use it
- Marks a near-miss: the event came close but did not occur. It pairs naturally with 〜ところだった ('was on the verge of'), and also covers near-completion ('almost done').
Easily confused with
See もう少しで in real sentences
Jengo shows もう少しで the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.