Inklingo

How to Say "hardly" in Spanish

English → Spanish

apenas

ah-PEH-nahsaˈpenas

AdverbA2General
Use 'apenas' when 'hardly' means 'barely' or 'scarcely' in the sense of having just enough or almost not enough of something.
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.

Examples

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.

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).

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).

difícilmente

dee-FEE-seel-MEN-tediˈfisilˌmente

adverbB1General
Use 'difícilmente' when 'hardly' implies something is unlikely or improbable to happen, conveying a sense of difficulty or doubt.
A snowman standing on a sunny tropical beach next to a palm tree.

Examples

Difícilmente llegará a tiempo con este tráfico.

He's unlikely to arrive on time with this traffic.

Difícilmente puedo creer lo que me estás contando.

I can hardly believe what you are telling me.

El abuelo camina difícilmente después de la operación.

Grandpa walks with difficulty after the surgery.

Keeping the accent

When you turn the word 'difícil' into 'difícilmente', you keep the accent mark on the 'i' exactly where it was in the original word.

Placement for emphasis

If you put 'difícilmente' at the very beginning of a sentence, it usually means 'it is unlikely that...' and sets the tone for the whole thought.

Using 'difícil' as an adverb

Mistake: “Él corre difícil.”

Correction: Él corre difícilmente (or 'con dificultad'). Use the '-mente' version to describe HOW someone does an action.

Apenas vs. Difícilmente

The most common mistake is using 'difícilmente' when you mean 'barely' or 'scarcely'. Remember that 'apenas' is the go-to for indicating a very small quantity or degree, while 'difícilmente' expresses unlikelihood or improbability.

Related Translations

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