几乎 (nearly, almost)

So close

• You stayed up late and only remembered the test at breakfast.
• I / me我wǒalmost几乎jī hūto forget忘wàng(completed / change)了letoday今天jīn tiānto have / there is有yǒuto take an exam考试kǎo shì。 — "I almost forgot there was a test today." It came very close but did not happen.

almost几乎jī hū + Verb or Adjective

• almost几乎jī hū = "almost, nearly": it goes before the verb, adjective or number phrase it limits.
• It often goes with (all)都dōu or each每měi: he他tāalmost几乎jī hūevery day每天měi tiān(all)都dōurun跑步pǎo bù — "He runs almost every day."

he他tāalmost几乎jī hūevery day每天měi tiān(all)都dōurun跑步pǎo bù。

Almost all, almost none

• With all所有suǒ yǒu or (all)都dōu: almost几乎jī hūall所有suǒ yǒu(modifier / structural particle)的destudents学生xué sheng(all)都dōucome来lái(completed / change)了le。 — "Almost all the students came."
• With not / haven't没méi or not不bù: I / me我wǒalmost几乎jī hūnot / haven't没méito go to bed睡觉shuì jiào。 — "I hardly slept at all."

almost几乎jī hūall所有suǒ yǒu的destudents学生xué sheng(all)都dōucome来lái了le。

Where almost几乎jī hū goes

almost几乎jī hū versus about the same差不多chà bu duō

• about the same差不多chà bu duō also means "about, almost", and is more common in speech: about the same差不多chà bu duō十点shí diǎn(completed / change)了le.
• almost几乎jī hū stresses how close something came, and suits not / haven't没méi / not不bù: he他tāalmost几乎jī hūnot不bùspeak说话shuō huà — "He hardly says a word."

he他tāalmost几乎jī hūnot不bùspeak说话shuō huà。

Recap

Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Adverbs.