How to Say "just barely" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “just barely” is “pelos” — B2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishB2
idiomatic expressionB2informal
close call

Examples
Llegamos al cine por los pelos antes de que empezara la película.
We got to the movie theater just barely before the film started.
El coche me pasó por los pelos.
The car missed me by a hair's breadth.
Always Plural
This phrase always uses the plural form: 'por los pelos', never 'por el pelo'.
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