nearly和almost的用法區別是什么

1.從含義上說, almost強調“十分接近”,而nearly強調“尚有不足”,所以在表示“想要做而沒做成”“很可能發生但還未發生”時,要用nearly; 而表示“簡直”“像”等意思時,要用almost。例如：

I nearly committed a great error.我幾乎犯了大錯。

Please wait a minute.I'm almost out of breath.請等一下,我簡直喘不過氣來了。

It was almost like a dream.這簡直就像一場夢。

試比較以下兩句：

I nearly fell off my bike.

我差一點沒從自行車上掉下來。

I almost fell off my bike.

我幾乎從自行車上掉下來。

另外,修飾表示思想感情的動詞時,只能用almost。例如：

He almost dreaded a visit to the doctor.他幾乎害怕去看病。

She almost wanted to leave here.她幾乎想離開這里。

2.從程度上說, almost比nearly更接近。例如：

We're nearly there.

我們快到了。

We're almost there.

我們馬上就要到了。

I'm nearly as clever as you.

我快趕上你那么聰明了。

I'm almost as clever as you.

我差不多和你一樣聰明了。

It is nearly time for class.

快到上課的時間了。

(如8點上課,現在是7：50)

It is almost time for class.

差不多是上課的時間了。

(如8點上課,現在是7：58)

3.從使用場合上說,在有趨勢向某個目標發展的情況下,兩者可互換。而在沒有這種趨勢或根本不可能達到的場合下,則只能用nearly而不能用almost。例如：

我們這只貓什么都懂,快趕上人了。

［誤］ Our cat understands everything— she's almost human.

［正］ Our cat understands everything— she's nearly human.

我姑姑說話簡直像個外國人。

［誤］ My aunt almost sounds foreign.

［正］ My aunt nearly sounds foreign.

4.從語氣上說, almost只是一般陳述; 而nearly則具有較明顯的驚訝、抱怨等感***彩。試比較以下兩個句子：

差不多花了我一百元錢。

It cost me almost a hundred yuan .

(說說而已)

It cost me nearly a hundred yuan .

(太貴了)

It's almost 40 minutes' walk to the park.

走到公園差不多要40分鐘。(陳述事實)

It's nearly 40 minutes' walk to the park.

走到公園差不多要40分鐘哩!(太遠了)

5.與no, none, nothing等連用,只能用almost而不能用nearly; 反之,與not, never連用,只能用nearly而不能用almost(但美式英語可說almost never)。例如：

There are not nearly enough people here to do the job.干這活兒,這些人手還遠不夠。

We almost never traverse tortuous paths.(AmE)我們難得走彎路。

6.在more than, too前用almost,不用nearly。例如：

That's almost too much!那簡直太過分了!

This is almost more than we feared.這簡直遠遠超過我們所害怕的情況。

7.nearly可加very, pretty等修飾,而almost不可。