How to Say "scarcely" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “scarcely” is “apenas” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishA2
AdverbA2
A slightly more formal alternative to 'hardly'
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).
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