To talk about something that almost happened but didn't, you can use the phrase por poco y (literally, "by a little and"). It translates to "almost."
Present tense for past near-misses
When you use por poco y to describe an averted disaster, the verb that follows is conjugated in the present indicative, even though you are narrating a past event. This colloquial quirk makes the near-miss feel sudden and dramatic.
| It was very windy; I almost crashed against the skyscraper! | Hacía mucho viento; ¡por poco y me estrello contra el rascacielos! |
| The pulley came loose; the platform almost fell. | La polea se desprendió; por poco y cae la plataforma. |
Setting the scene
You will often see this structure paired with verbs in the preterite or imperfect tense. The past tenses set up the dangerous situation, followed by the dramatic present-tense near-miss.
| I was wobbling when the rope broke; I almost fell! | Me tambaleaba cuando la cuerda se rompió; ¡por poco y caigo! |
| The precarious bucket came off; a tragedy almost occurred. | El balde precario se desprendió; por poco y ocurre una desgracia. |
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