At a glance
ほとんど means "almost" or "most" with an affirmative verb, and "hardly" or "almost no" with a negative verb. It says that something is close to all, or close to none.
ほとんど + verb (affirmative) → almost, most
ほとんど + verb (negative) → hardly, almost not
ほとんど の + noun → most ...
宿題はほとんど終わりました。 The homework is almost finished.
How to form it
ほとんど is an adverb. It usually goes right before the verb. Before a noun it needs の.
| Pattern | What it combines with | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ほとんど + affirmative | Verb in affirmative form | ほとんど終わりました。 | It's almost finished. |
| ほとんど + negative | Verb in negative form | ほとんど食べません。 | I hardly eat (it). |
| ほとんどの + noun | Noun, with の | ほとんどの人 | most people |
| ほとんど + word | Words like 毎日, 同じ | ほとんど毎日 | almost every day |