barely

à peine

Indique que l’on arrive tout juste à faire quelque chose, tant c’est difficile.

En anglais simple : Only just able to do something, because it is very difficult.

• I can barely hear you.
• He could barely stand after the race.
• We barely managed to lift the box.

Synonymes : hardly

Expressions courantes : barely able to, barely manage something, can barely walk

à peine

À un degré si faible que cela se remarque à peine ou n’est presque pas vrai.

En anglais simple : To such a small degree that something is almost not true or noticeable.

• The mark is barely visible.
• Her expression barely changed.
• The music was barely audible from outside.

Synonymes : hardly, scarcely

Expressions courantes : barely visible, barely noticeable, barely touch something

à peine

Devant une quantité, souligne qu’elle est très faible ou inférieure à ce qu’on attendait.

En anglais simple : Used before an amount to show that it is very small or less than expected.

• We have barely enough money.
• Barely ten people came to the meeting.
• She ate barely half her lunch.

Synonymes : scarcely, only

Expressions courantes : barely enough, barely half, barely ten minutes

de justesse

Avec une marge très faible, tout près de l’échec ou d’un résultat différent.

En anglais simple : By only a small amount, with almost no room for failure or difference.

• I barely passed the test.
• Our team barely won the final.
• They barely escaped before the roof fell.

Synonymes : narrowly, only just

Expressions courantes : barely pass, barely win, barely escape

à peine

Indique qu’une chose vient de se produire lorsqu’une autre arrive.

En anglais simple : Used when one thing has only just happened before another thing happens.

• The film had barely started when she left.
• I had barely sat down when the phone rang.
• He had barely finished before another task arrived.

Comment l'utiliser : had barely done something when… (We had barely arrived when it started raining.)

Synonymes : only just, scarcely

Expressions courantes : barely begun, barely arrived, had barely finished

tout juste

Indique que quelque chose s’est produit il y a très peu de temps.

En anglais simple : Only a very short time ago.

• I barely got here a minute ago.
• She barely called me, so the news is fresh.
• We barely finished lunch, and I am still full.

Synonymes : just, recently

Expressions courantes : barely got here, barely finished something