わずかに

わ

ず

か

に

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Indicates a small degree or amount; often used with adjectives, verbs, or nouns to express a slight difference or change.

Kanji

僅a wee bit
纔a little

Related words

わずか
わずか is a na-adjective/noun meaning 'a small amount' or 'only', while わずかに is its adverbial form. わずかに is used to modify verbs, adjectives, or whole clauses, whereas わずか can directly precede nouns (e.g., わずかなお金).
少すこし
少し is a more common and casual word for 'a little' or 'slightly'. わずかに is more formal and often implies a smaller or more precise degree, and is preferred in written or measured contexts.
ほんの
ほんの is a pre-noun adjectival meaning 'mere' or 'just a little', used before nouns (e.g., ほんの少し). わずかに is an adverb and can modify verbs and adjectives directly.

Written forms

僅わずかに
Kanji form using 僅; encountered in formal or literary writing.
僅わずかに
Less common kanji form without か; may be seen in older texts.
纔わずかに
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 纔; it is rarely used.
纔わずかに
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 纔 without か; it is rarely used.

Etymology

Derived from the na-adjective わずか (small amount, few) with the adverbial suffix に. The kanji 僅 and 纔 both carry meanings of 'slight' or 'barely', but the word is now predominantly written in kana.