How do you say "They almost scored!" in Italian?

"They almost scored!" in Italian is "Per poco non segnavano!". This phrase is commonly used in Italy.

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How to Say ‘They almost scored!’ in Italian

Q: What does "Per poco non segnavano!" mean in English?

"Per poco non segnavano!" means "They almost scored!" in English. Usage tip: Italian often says [per poco non + verb] for [almost did something]. So [Per poco non segnavano!] literally has [non], but the meaning is still [They almost scored!].

Per poco non segnavano!

pehr POH-koh nohn sen-YAH-vah-noh

[pehr POH-koh nohn sen-YAH-vah-noh]

💬 Usage Tip: Italian often says [per poco non + verb] for [almost did something]. So [Per poco non segnavano!] literally has [non], but the meaning is still [They almost scored!].

Phrase Breakdown

Per poco

pehr POH-koh

Words in this phrase

Per

[pehr]

for / by

Part of the set expression per poco, used to say something nearly happened in a dramatic moment.

Example

Per poco non segnavano! Che paura.

They almost scored! How scary.

poco

[POH-koh]

little

Together with per, it forms per poco, a common expression for 'almost'.

Example

Per poco non segnavano! Eravamo tutti in silenzio.

They almost scored! We all went silent.

Non segnavano

nohn sen-YAH-vah-noh

Words in this phrase

non

[nohn]

not

Negation used in this idiomatic structure to express a close call.

Example

Per poco non segnavano! Il pubblico era in panico.

They almost scored! The crowd was panicking.

segnavano

[sen-YAH-vah-noh]

they were scoring / they scored

Imperfect of segnare; here it describes the other team nearly scoring during the action.

Example

Per poco non segnavano! Il portiere ci ha salvati.

They almost scored! The goalkeeper saved us.

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