apenas

/ah-PEH-nahs/

barely

A close-up of a large, empty coffee mug showing only a few drops of dark liquid remaining at the very bottom, symbolizing a minimal amount.

This illustrates 'apenas' meaning 'barely' or 'hardly'—there is hardly any coffee left.

apenas(Adverb)

barely

Expressing a very small amount or degree

hardly

Almost not at all

Also:

scarcely

A slightly more formal alternative to 'hardly'

just

When emphasizing a small number, e.g., 'just two'

📝 In Action

Apenas tengo dinero para un café.

I barely have enough money for a coffee.

Ella apenas habla; es muy tímida.

She hardly speaks; she's very shy.

Hay apenas diez personas en la fiesta.

There are just ten people at the party.

Lo conozco apenas.

I scarcely know him.

Word Connections

Synonyms

casi no (almost not)
escasamente (scarcely)

Antonyms

mucho (a lot)
completamente (completely)
de sobra (more than enough)

Common Collocations

apenas nada – hardly anything
apenas si – barely even (used for emphasis)

💡 Grammar Points

Where to Place 'Apenas'

You'll almost always see 'apenas' right before the action (verb) it's describing. For example, 'Apenas duermo' (I barely sleep).

❌ Common Pitfalls

One Word vs. Two Words

Mistake: "Me levanté a penas."

Correction: Me levanté apenas. While 'a penas' (two words) exists, it's very formal and means 'with great difficulty'. For 'hardly' or 'barely', always use 'apenas' (one word).

⭐ Usage Tips

Think Negatively

Even though 'apenas' doesn't look like a negative word, it gives the sentence a negative feeling, just like 'hardly' or 'barely' in English. It emphasizes what is lacking.

A person is just crossing the threshold of a doorway into a house, while simultaneously, heavy rain is instantly beginning to fall immediately outside the door.

Here, 'apenas' means 'as soon as,' linking the action of entering the house with the immediate start of the rain.

apenas(Adverb)

as soon as

Connecting two events that happen in quick succession

just when / the moment that

Emphasizing the immediacy of the second action

Also:

no sooner... than

A more literary way to express the same idea

📝 In Action

Apenas llegué a casa, empezó a llover.

As soon as I got home, it started to rain.

Te llamaré apenas termine la reunión.

I'll call you as soon as the meeting ends.

Apenas abrí la puerta, el gato se escapó.

The moment I opened the door, the cat escaped.

Word Connections

Synonyms

tan pronto como (as soon as)
en cuanto (as soon as)

Common Collocations

apenas... cuando... – no sooner... when...

💡 Grammar Points

Connecting Two Actions

Use this 'apenas' at the beginning of a sentence to link two quick events. The structure is: Apenas [first thing happened], [second thing happened].

❌ Common Pitfalls

Verb Tense Mix-up

Mistake: "Apenas llego a casa, llovió."

Correction: Apenas llegué a casa, llovió. When telling a story about the past, both actions usually use the same past tense (like the preterite, which is for completed past actions).

⭐ Usage Tips

Great for Storytelling

This use of 'apenas' is perfect for making your stories more dynamic. It creates a sense of immediacy and cause-and-effect, making your Spanish sound more natural and fluent.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: apenas

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'apenas' to mean 'as soon as'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pena(pity, sorrow, difficulty) - noun

penoso(painful, difficult, pitiful) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'apenas' and 'casi no'?

When you mean 'hardly' or 'barely', they are very similar and often interchangeable. For example, 'Apenas duermo' and 'Casi no duermo' both mean 'I hardly sleep'. However, only 'apenas' can also mean 'as soon as'.

Is 'a penas' (two words) the same as 'apenas' (one word)?

No, they are different. 'Apenas' (one word) is very common and means 'hardly' or 'as soon as'. 'A penas' (two words) is much less common, more formal, and means 'with great difficulty'. In everyday conversation, you'll almost always want to use 'apenas'.