Yap.Town

a failli

almost; nearly

→ avoir
phrase Common #2,932
almost; nearly Used with an infinitive to say that something nearly happened but did not. The subject and tense determine the form, as in il a failli, elle a failli, or j’ai failli.
FR: Elle a failli se noyer.
EN: She almost drowned.

Tom a failli s'étouffer.

Tom nearly choked.

Il a failli te tuer !

He almost killed you!

— Heureux comme Lazzaro (2018)

Elle a failli tuer Sara !

She almost killed Sara!

— Black (2005)

Il a failli oublier son argent.

He almost forgot his money.

Il savait pas pour le cellier ou la bagnole qui a failli nous tuer.

He didn't know about the cellar or the car that almost killed us.

— Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (2026)

Elle a failli me tuer.

She almost killed me.

— Épouses et Concubines (1991)

Je serais tombée, mais M. Dawson m'a sauvée, et il a failli tomber aussi.

I would have fallen, but Mr. Dawson saved me, and he almost fell too.

— Titanic (1997)

On a failli trinquer sans toi.

We almost had toast without you.

— Oh Boy (2012)

Leur cupidité a failli le tuer.

Their greed almost killed him.

— Anaconda (2025)

Il a failli entraîner les autres avec lui.

He almost dragged the others down with him.

— Apocalypto (2006)

Docteur Gao dit que l'artère a failli être touchée.

Dr. Gao says the artery was almost hit.

— Épouses et Concubines (1991)

On a failli mourir.

We almost died.

— Star Wars, épisode I - La Menace fantôme (1999)

Bill Shirk a failli mourir en faisant ça.

Bill Shirk nearly died doing this.

— Insaisissables 3 (2025)

Ziri a failli se noyer.

Ziri almost drowned.

Ça a failli être ton cou.

That was almost your neck.

— Harry Potter et la Chambre des secrets (2002)

Tom a failli se faire prendre.

Tom almost got caught.

Il a failli.

He almost did.

— Chute libre (1993)

Tom a failli mourir de froid.

Tom almost froze to death.

Il a failli se faire tuer dans l'accident.

He nearly got killed in the accident.

Elle a failli se noyer dans la rivière.

She almost drowned in the river.

Il a failli manquer son vol.

He almost missed his flight.

Le garde du corps d'Anchorage a failli y passer.

The bodyguard from Anchorage almost died.

— Bullet Train (2022)

Votre ami a failli se faire écrabouiller.

Your friend almost got crushed.

— Star Wars, épisode I - La Menace fantôme (1999)

Ce gamin a failli être écrasé quand le camion a fait marche arrière.

This kid was almost run over when the truck reversed.

On a failli se faire prendre plusieurs fois.

We almost got caught several times.

Ron a failli s'évanouir à sa vue.

Ron almost fainted at the sight of her.

— Harry Potter et la Coupe de feu (2005)

Et on a failli crever !

And we nearly died!

— Anaconda (2025)

Dobby a failli dire du mal de sa famille.

Dobby almost spoke ill of his family.

— Harry Potter et la Chambre des secrets (2002)

Ça a failli marcher.

It almost worked.

Un homme a failli mourir.

A man nearly died.

— À bout de course (1988)

Tom a failli rire.

Tom almost laughed.

Mon cœur a failli s'arrêter.

My heart almost stopped.

Il a failli se servir de son Taser.

He almost used his Taser.

— Le Loup de Wall Street (2013)

Mon chien Moglie a failli mourir !

My dog Moglie almost died!

— De tout cœur (1998)

Elle a failli tomber.

She almost fell.

Notre chien a failli être écrasé par une voiture.

Our dog was almost run over by a car.

Le Racing a failli ouvrir le score.

Racing almost opened the scoring.

— Dans ses yeux (2009)

Le Président a failli être blessé !

The President was almost injured!

— Les Visiteurs (1993)

Valdemar a failli mouiller son pantalon.

Valdemar almost wet his pants.

— L'Agent secret (2025)

Il a failli nous tuer !

He nearly killed us!

— Zootopie (2016)

Tu te rends compte que ton frère a failli se faire tuer.

You realize that your brother almost got killed.

— Avatar : La Voie de l'eau (2022)

On a failli se faire écraser par un camion.

We almost got run over by a truck.

Tante Leslie a failli se casser le cou.

Aunt Leslie almost broke her neck.

— Maman, j'ai raté l'avion ! (1990)

Ce monstre a failli abréger mes jours.

This monster almost shortened my life.

— L'Empire contre-attaque (1980)

Thomas a failli glisser.

Thomas almost slipped.

On a failli mourir à cause d'une seule photo ?

Did someone nearly die because of a single photo?

— La Cité de Dieu (2002)

Ça a failli nous étouffer !

It almost suffocated us!

— Le Seigneur des anneaux : Les Deux Tours (2002)

Ta scène merdique a failli tuer mon guitariste !

Your shitty stage almost killed my guitarist!

— Presque Célèbre (2000)

Un homme a failli être tué à cause de moi.

A man was almost killed because of me.

— The Machinist (2004)