הגעתי כמעט בזמן, אבל הפגישה כבר התחילה.

but

Breakdown of הגעתי כמעט בזמן, אבל הפגישה כבר התחילה.

• כבר: already
• בזמן: on time
• פגישה: meeting

Questions & Answers about הגעתי כמעט בזמן, אבל הפגישה כבר התחילה.

Why is there no separate word for I in הגעתי?

In Hebrew, the verb itself usually tells you who the subject is.
הגעתי means I arrived all by itself.

The ending -תי is the past-tense ending for I in many verbs.

So:

• הגעתי = I arrived
• אני הגעתי = I arrived / I did arrive

Adding אני is possible, but it usually adds emphasis.

What exactly is הגעתי?

הגעתי is the past tense, first person singular form of the verb להגיע (to arrive, to reach).

Breakdown:

• להגיע = to arrive
• הגעתי = I arrived

This verb is very common in everyday Hebrew:

• הגעתי הביתה = I arrived home
• הגעתי מוקדם = I arrived early
• הגעתי כמעט בזמן = I arrived almost on time

What does כמעט בזמן mean literally?