Translation guide
The English word 'barely' expresses that something happens only just, by a small margin, or almost does not happen. It can refer to a minimal degree, a narrow success, or a recent completion. Japanese uses various adverbs and constructions depending on the nuance.
To express that something happens with very little to spare, such as barely passing an exam or barely catching a train.
A standard adverb meaning 'barely' or 'just barely', often used when something is achieved with difficulty or by a narrow margin.
かろうじて試験に合格した。
I barely passed the exam.
かろうじて終電に間に合った。
I barely caught the last train.
Often used as an adverb or na-adjective to mean 'just barely' or 'by a hair's breadth', emphasizing a very close margin. Common in casual speech.
ぎりぎりで間に合った。
I made it just in time.
ぎりぎりのところで助かった。
I was barely saved at the last moment.
Means 'finally' or 'barely', often implying that something was achieved after effort or a long wait. It can overlap with 'barely' when emphasizing the difficulty of achievement.
やっと仕事が終わった。
I barely finished my work (after a struggle).
Same as かろうじて but written with kanji. More formal or literary.
辛うじて命を取り留めた。
He barely survived.
To express that something is almost not the case, such as barely audible or barely visible.
A pattern meaning 'hardly' or 'barely'. The verb/adjective is negated. Very common and natural.
彼の声はほとんど聞こえなかった。
I could barely hear his voice.
ほとんど食べていない。
I've barely eaten.
Means 'not very' or 'barely'. Slightly weaker than ほとんど〜ない. Often used with adjectives.
あまり見えない。
I can barely see it.
Means 'hardly' or 'barely' with a nuance of 'not properly' or 'not enough'. Often used in negative sentences.
ろくに寝ていない。
I've barely slept.
To express that something happened only a moment before, such as 'I barely got here' meaning 'I just arrived'.
Means 'just now' or 'barely a moment ago'. Used for very recent past.
たった今着いたばかりです。
I barely arrived (just now).
Attached to past tense verb to mean 'just did something'. Can convey 'barely' in the sense of recent completion.
食べたばかりなのにもうお腹が空いた。
I barely ate (just ate) and I'm already hungry.
To express a minimal quantity or degree, such as 'barely enough' or 'barely any'.
Means 'only a little' or 'barely'. Can be used as an adverb or na-adjective.
わずかな差で負けた。
I lost by a barely noticeable margin.
水がわずかに残っている。
There is barely any water left.
Means 'just a little' or 'barely a bit'. More colloquial.
ほんの少しだけ食べた。
I barely ate anything.
Both mean 'barely', but かろうじて is more formal and often used in written language or serious contexts. ぎりぎり is casual and emphasizes a very tight margin, often used in everyday speech.
かろうじて命は助かった。
He barely survived (formal).
ぎりぎりセーフ！
Barely safe! (casual)
While かろうじて is a direct translation, it can sound stiff in casual conversation. Use ぎりぎり or ほとんど〜ない for more natural speech.
ぎりぎり間に合った。
I barely made it on time.
彼女はほとんど日本語を話さない。
She barely speaks Japanese.
食べ物がわずかしかない。
We barely have enough food.