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This squib investigates the structure and usage of the Dutch cognitive bijna-beginnen-complement construction. The construction consists of the adverb bijna (‘almost’), a matrix verb, an infinitival verb of cognition and a complement. From a corpus-analysis of Dutch tweets the verbs zullen, gaan, and beginnen emerge as the most frequently used matrix verbs. Semantically, the construction expresses prospective aspect (Bogaards 2023). Retorically, it may be used in ironic utterances, sometimes resulting in a form of praeteritio.