Inklingo

How to Say "with difficulty" in Spanish

The Spanish word forwith difficultyis difícilmenteB1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishB1
adverbB1
describing an action done with great effort
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.

Related Translations

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