How to Say ‘So close!’ in Simplified Chinese
差一点儿！
chà yì diǎn ér
[chà yìdiǎnr]
💬 Usage Tip: 一 here is said (yì) because the next sound is a third tone: (chà yì diǎnr). The 儿 merges into the word before it as a final 'r' sound, not a separate syllable.
Phrase Breakdown
差
chà
[chà]
to fall short; to lack
Means missing by a small amount; with 一点儿 it means 'almost'.
我差一点儿迟到。
I was almost late.
一点儿
yì diǎn ér
[yìdiǎnr]
a little; a bit
A small amount; after 差 it expresses a near miss.
他差一点儿进球。
He almost scored.
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