Spanish · C2 · Family moment
The School-Day Almosts in Spanish
This guide explores 'avertive' past constructions in Spanish—situations where something almost happened but was prevented. Using 'por poco' or 'casi', we can discuss near-misses during the school day in a lighthearted, pressure-free way.
What you'll learn
- Express near-events in the past using 'por poco' and 'casi'.
- Describe school and club-related near-mishaps naturally.
- Master the use of the indicative mood to describe events that were nearly realized.
Spanish phrases for the school-day almosts
Por poco te preparo las cosas de natación en lugar de tus libros del colegio; menos mal que vi la toalla.
I almost packed your swimming things instead of your school books; spotting the towel saved me.
'Por poco' captures the sense of 'almost' in a close-call scenario.
Casi nos pasamos de largo la puerta del colegio porque tu pregunta sobre la luna era interesantísima.
We nearly walked past the school gate because your question about the moon was so interesting.
'Pasarse de largo' means to go past a destination unintentionally.
Por poco firmo en la línea equivocada del formulario del club, pero entonces leí el encabezado.
I almost signed the wrong line on the club form, but then I read the heading.
'Encabezado' is the term for a header or heading on a document.
Casi te dejas el libro de lectura en casa de tu amigo; por suerte, miraste debajo del cojín.
You nearly left your reading book at your friend's house; luckily, you checked under the cushion.
'Dejarse' emphasizes forgetting something behind.
Por poco te doy la paga de la semana que viene además de la de esta; qué bien que hayamos contado juntos.
I almost gave you next week's pocket money as well as this week's—good thing we counted together.
'La paga' is a common term for pocket money/allowance.
Casi nos quedamos en el parque demasiado tiempo para llegar puntuales a tu club deportivo.
We nearly stayed at the playground too long to reach your sports club on time.
'Puntuales' reflects reaching a destination on time.
Por poco te cuento el final, pero me detuve antes de arruinar tu aventura de lectura.
I almost told you the ending, but I stopped myself before spoiling your reading adventure.
'Arruinar' or 'hacer spoiler' can be used for spoiling a story.
Casi compro otro pegamento en barra antes de que me enseñaras el que tenías sin abrir en la mochila.
I nearly bought another glue stick before you showed me the unopened one in your bag.
'Pegamento en barra' is the specific term for a glue stick.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
por poco
nearly / almost
Often used with the present or past indicative to show how close an event came to happening.
casi
almost
A versatile adverb that can be used in almost all contexts where 'nearly' applies.
menos mal que
it's a good thing that / luckily
A very common idiomatic expression for expressing relief.
paga
allowance / pocket money
Commonly used in Spain; 'mesada' is more common in parts of Latin America.
The Avertive Construction: Por poco / Casi
In Spanish, to express that something 'almost' happened, we use 'por poco' or 'casi'. Unlike German, which uses the subjunctive for this (Konjunktiv II), Spanish typically uses the Indicative (usually Preterite or Present) because the event was physically close to occurring in the real world.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Por poco + Preterite | Por poco + [Verb in Past] | Por poco me caigo (I almost fell). |
| Casi + Preterite | Casi + [Verb in Past] | Casi perdemos el bus (We nearly missed the bus). |
| Present for Immediacy | Por poco + [Verb in Present] | ¡Por poco te matas! (You nearly killed yourself! - used figuratively for a close call). |
More examples
Por poco me olvido de tu merienda hoy.
I almost forgot your snack today.
Using 'olvidarse de' is a natural way to talk about forgetting objects.
Casi pierdo las llaves en el patio.
I nearly lost the keys in the yard.
Uses the preterite 'perdí' or 'pierdo' for a near-miss.
Por poco no llegamos a tiempo a la clase de música.
We almost didn't make it to music class on time.
Note that 'por poco no' often means 'we barely made it'.