In this paper we define almost gentle algebras, which are monomial special multiserial algebras generalizing gentle algebras. We show that the trivial extension of an almost gentle algebra by its minimal injective co-generator is a symmetric special multiserial algebra and hence a Brauer configuration algebra. Conversely, we show that any almost gentle algebra is an admissible cut of a unique Brauer configuration algebra and, as a consequence, we obtain that every Brauer configuration algebra with multiplicity function identically one is the trivial extension of an almost gentle algebra. We show that a hypergraph is associated with every almost gentle algebra A, and that this hypergraph induces the Brauer configuration of the trivial extension of A. Among other things, this gives a combinatorial criterion to decide when two almost gentle algebras have isomorphic trivial extensions.
