English–Spanish
“hardly” in Spanish
Spanish
Pronunciation
IPA/aˈpenas/
Example
Apenas conozco a nadie en esta ciudad.
I hardly know anyone in this town.
How to say “hardly” in Spanish
“Hardly” in Spanish is apenas. apenas can also mean “barely”.
A candle with a barely visible flame.
Example sentences with apenas
Apenas hay pan en la despensa.
There is hardly any bread in the pantry.
Tips for using apenas
- When placed directly before the verb, 'apenas' restricts the degree expressed by the verb, while sentence-initial + preterite commonly gives a temporal 'as soon as' reading.