quasi
almost, nearly
adverb KWAH-zee Common
Origin: Latin quasi (as if, nearly)
Usage Note
Quasi is borrowed directly from Latin and is common across all registers. It pairs naturally with numbers (quasi mille persone, nearly a thousand people) and with adjectives (quasi impossibile, nearly impossible). In informal speech, quasi quasi (doubled) softens a suggestion: quasi quasi vado a letto means 'I'm half-thinking of going to bed.'
Examples
"Sono quasi arrivato, aspettami."
Natural Translation
I'm almost there, wait for me.
Literal Translation
I-am almost arrived, wait-for-me.
Related Words
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