差点没：危うい失敗と文脈

The bus doors close just after you board

• You rush onto the bus and say I我wǒalmost差点chà diǎnnot / haven't没méicatch赶上gǎnshàngbus车chē，fortunately幸好xìng hǎodriver司机sī jīto wait for等děng(completed / change)了leI我wǒ。 — “I almost missed the bus; luckily the driver waited for me.” The context establishes that you caught it.
• almost差点chà diǎnnot / haven't没méi can be difficult to interpret without context. Do not decide every outcome by counting negative words or applying one wanted/unwanted shortcut.

Read a nearly failed success

• In this complete bus example, almost差点chà diǎnnot / haven't没méi + catch赶上gǎnshàng describes nearly failing to catch the bus. fortunately幸好xìng hǎodriver司机sī jīto wait for等děng(completed / change)了leI我wǒ makes the successful outcome clear.
• Compare I我wǒalmost差点chà diǎncatch赶上gǎnshàngbus车chē，but可是kě shìbus车chēto go (of car, train etc)开走kāi zǒu(completed / change)了le。 — “I almost caught the bus, but it left.” Here the next clause establishes failure to catch it.

I我wǒalmost failed to差点没chàdiǎn méicatch赶上gǎnshàngbus车chē。

Recognise a near accident

• I我wǒalmost差点chà diǎnto fall down摔倒shuāi dǎo，fortunately幸好xìng hǎohold onto扶住fú zhù(completed / change)了lerailing栏杆lán gān。 means “I almost fell; luckily I held the rail.” In this account, the fall did not happen.
• Speakers can also say I我wǒalmost差点chà diǎnnot / haven't没méito fall down摔倒shuāi dǎo in such a near-accident context. The not / haven't没méi does not always work like an ordinary logical negation; uses and readings can vary.

Let the surrounding outcome settle the reading

• Ask what almost happened and what actually happened. Phrases such as fortunately幸好xìng hǎocatch赶上gǎnshàng(completed / change)了le or outcome结果jié guǒor / still还是hái shìnot / haven't没méicatch赶上gǎnshàng give direct outcome evidence.
• A bare almost差点chà diǎnnot / haven't没méi sentence may be ambiguous or interpreted differently by speakers. Do not mark every unfamiliar context “grammatically broken” just because it conflicts with a simple shortcut.

Make your own account clear

• If the outcome matters, add an explicit clause: I我wǒalmost差点chà diǎnnot / haven't没méicatch赶上gǎnshàng，fortunately幸好xìng hǎoin the end最后zuì hòucatch赶上gǎnshàng(completed / change)了le。 — “I nearly failed to catch it; luckily I caught it in the end.”
• For a clear failure account, state failure directly: I我wǒnot / haven't没méicatch赶上gǎnshàngbus车chē，to have no other option but…只好zhǐ hǎoto wait for等děngdown下xiàone service一班yī bān。 — “I missed the bus and had to wait for the next one.” Avoid making a listener infer an important outcome from an isolated near-miss phrase.

Separate the close call from the result

• In the worked account, nearly missing is the close call and boarding is the actual result. In the rail account, nearly falling is the close call and staying upright is the result.
• Use the whole account to answer an outcome question. If the outcome is not clear, ask what happened rather than inventing certainty from not / haven't没méi alone.

Read the full reference: HSK 5 grammar — Adverbs.