Por Pouco: Say Something Nearly Happened in Portuguese
Por pouco means ‘by a small margin’ or ‘almost.’ See why por pouco não perdi often means you nearly missed something but did not.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Por pouco means “by very little,” “by a small margin,” or “almost.” It describes a result that came close to happening or a difference that was small. Quase is a common alternative meaning “almost.”
Use por pouco for a narrow margin
One frequent pattern is por pouco não + verb. In a near-miss sentence, the negative often tells you that the event almost happened but did not: por pouco não perdi o voo means I nearly missed the flight, but I caught it.
Por pouco não perdi o voo.
I almost missed the flight.
Ele passou por pouco na prova.
He passed the exam by a narrow margin.
Quase esqueci meu passaporte.
I almost forgot my passport.
Read the full sentence before interpreting não
In por pouco não + verb, do not translate each word mechanically. The phrase commonly describes a near miss, so por pouco não caí usually means “I almost fell” rather than “I barely did not fall.” The surrounding story confirms the outcome.
For a clear positive near-event, use quase + verb. If the outcome matters, state it in a second sentence: Por pouco não perdi o voo, mas cheguei ao portão a tempo (I almost missed the flight, but I reached the gate in time).
Por pouco não esqueci a reunião, mas o alarme tocou.
I almost forgot the meeting, but the alarm went off.
A bola passou por pouco da janela.
The ball missed the window by a small margin.
Quase caí na escada, mas consegui me equilibrar.
I almost fell on the stairs, but I managed to steady myself.
Put it into practice
Use por pouco for a narrow margin or near miss; interpret por pouco não + verb as ‘almost’ and use the rest of the story to confirm the outcome.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “The ball missed the window by a small margin”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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