ほとんど

adverb

almost; nearly; mostly

Used to describe that something is close to a complete state or quantity, but not entirely. Common in both spoken and written Japanese.

• 宿しゅく題だいはほとんど終おわった。

  I've almost finished my homework.

• この店みせの客きゃくはほとんど女じょ性せいだ。

  Most of the customers at this shop are women.

adverb

hardly; barely; scarcely

Used with a negative verb to mean 'hardly' or 'barely'. Emphasizes that something is almost not the case.

• 彼かれはほとんど食たべなかった。

  He hardly ate anything.

• その話はなしはほとんど信しんじられない。

  That story is barely believable.

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

most; the majority; almost all

Used as a noun or with の to refer to the greater part of something. Often interchangeable with sense 1, but explicitly nominal.

• 参さん加か者しゃのほとんどが賛さん成せいした。

  Most of the participants agreed.

• ほとんどの人ひとがその事じ実じつを知しらない。

  Almost all people don't know that fact.