殆ど
Almost all, Most, Hardly any, Few (Adverbial noun)
Structure
ほとんど + (Negative) Phrase
Explanation
The adverb ほとんど is quite versatile in Japanese, commonly translating to 'almost all', 'most of the time', or 'hardly at all'. The specific English equivalent depends on whether the sentence is positive or negative. At its core, ほとんど always means 'almost', referring to a near-complete state or quantity of a larger whole, not just a single item.
Similar to other adverbs of quantity, ほとんど can either be used to modify an entire verb phrase, or it can be paired with the particle の to directly describe a noun.
- ケーキはほとんど食べてしまった。I've eaten most of the cake.
- レポートはほとんど書けたけど、まだ確認が必要だ。I've written most of the report, but it still needs to be checked.
- ほとんどの生徒はバスで学校に来ます。Most students come to school by bus.
- ほとんどの客は満足していました。Most of the customers were satisfied.
When used in a negative sentence, ほとんど takes on the meaning of 'hardly' or 'almost never'. This is because it emphasizes that the amount of something, or the frequency of an action, is close to zero.
- 冷蔵庫の中、牛乳がほとんどないね。There's hardly any milk in the fridge, huh.
- 肉を食べることはほとんどないです。I hardly ever eat meat.
Examples
宿題は、ほとんど終わりました。
I've finished almost all of my homework.
今日は時間がほとんどない。
I have hardly any time today.
ほとんどの人がスマートフォンを持っている。
Most people have a smartphone.
この本の内容はほとんど忘れてしまいました。
I've forgotten almost everything in this book.
パーティーには知っている人がほとんどいなかった。
There was hardly anyone I knew at the party.
冷蔵庫の牛乳をほとんど飲んでしまった。
I drank almost all of the milk in the fridge.
彼の答えはほとんどが正解でした。
Almost all of his answers were correct.
この辺には店がほとんどありません。
There are hardly any stores around here.
このレストランは、ほとんどの料理がおいしいですよ。
At this restaurant, almost all of the dishes are delicious.
彼は忙しくて、最近ほとんど寝ていないらしい。
He's so busy, I hear he's gotten almost no sleep recently.
私の言ったことはほとんど理解されなかった。
Almost nothing I said was understood.
このお茶は甘みがほとんどないですね。
This tea has hardly any sweetness, does it?