Apenas (en. Barely)

/aˈpenas/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishSpanish

adverb

Expresses limitation in the quantity or intensity of something.

As soon as I arrived at the party, it started to rain.

Apenas llegué a la fiesta, comenzó a llover.

Indicates that something occurs minimally or with difficulty.

The music was barely heard at the concert.

Apenas se escuchaba la música en el concierto.

It is used to indicate that something is recent or happened a short time ago.

I barely finished studying before I went to sleep.

Apenas terminé de estudiar, me fui a dormir.

It may imply that something is unsatisfactory or does not meet expectations.

I barely liked the movie we watched last night.

Apenas me gustó la película que vimos anoche.

From Latin 'apena', meaning 'with difficulty'.

barely if

Indicates that something is very unlikely or is barely done.

apenas si

I barely have

It is used to indicate that one has a minimal amount of something.

apenas tengo

barely he knows

Emphasizes that the mentioned person has little knowledge about a topic.

apenas él sabe

little

Indicates a quantity less than normal.

poco

scarce

Existing in small amounts.

escaso

almost

Indicates that something is about to happen, but does not occur.

casi

Barely is used to describe something very limited.

The money I have is barely enough for the month.

El dinero que tengo es apenas suficiente para el mes.

Refers to something that happens rarely.

We barely went out to eat; it's a special occasion.

Apenas salimos a comer, es una ocasión especial.