English–Japanese
“barely” in Japanese
Japanese
Pronunciation
Romajikarōjite
Example
私はかろうじて試験に合格しました。watashi wa ka rō ji te shi ken ni gō kaku shi ma shi ta
I barely passed the exam.
How to say “barely” in Japanese
“Barely” in Japanese is かろうじて (karōjite).
It describes something that is achieved or remains possible only at the smallest acceptable degree and with little room to spare.
Example sentences with かろうじて
暗い部屋でも、かろうじて文字が読めます。kura i heya de mo ka rō ji te moji ga yo me ma su
Even in a dim room, I can barely read the writing.
Tips for using かろうじて
- A near-native English speaker distinguishes barely passed from narrowly passed because barely stresses a minimal degree, whereas narrowly suggests a close escape or result.