HSK 4 · VERSION 2.0#10
Expressing “Almost” with “chàdiǎn”
差点（儿）
How it works
差点（儿） means that an event nearly happened. With an undesirable result, it normally means that the event did not occur.
With a desired result, negation and context require extra care; compare the later lesson on 差点没.
The pattern
Subject + 差点（儿）+ Verb / Predicate
Example sentences
我差点忘了。
I almost forgot.
他差点摔倒。
He almost fell down.
我们差点迟到了。
We were almost late.
Usage Note The examples here describe undesirable results that did not occur. Do not automatically apply the same interpretation to a desired result; check the negation and context.