The bad thing did not happen
The good thing did happen
差点 means "almost" or "nearly" and is used to describe something that almost happened but didn't.
There's an important nuance with negatives:
差点 + undesirable event = It almost happened (but didn't) - relief
差点没 + desirable event = It almost didn't happen (but did) - relief
Both patterns express that you narrowly avoided an undesirable outcome.
I almost was late.
I almost didn't catch the plane (but I did).
差一点 is a slightly more formal variant with the same meaning.
差点 + positive verb = almost did (didn't happen)
- 差点迟到 (almost was late [but wasn't])
差点没 + verb = almost didn't (but did)
- 差点没赶上 (almost didn't catch it [but did])
For near misses and close calls
I almost was late.
I almost did not catch the plane (but I did).
He almost fell down.
Find real examples
Discover this pattern in manga, dramas & more
Save for spaced repetition
Add sentences to your study deck
Practice 差点 and other grammar patterns with manga, dramas, and more.
Start learning free