à peine
/a pɛn/
The English word 'barely' is translated into French as à peine.
à peine is an adverb meaning 'almost not at all'. It can also be used to mean 'only' or 'just' when emphasizing a small amount.
Meaning: almost not at all (adv)
How do you pronounce it?
/a pɛn/
Did you know?
- The word peine descends from the Ancient Greek word ποινή, which referred to blood money or a fine.
- In French, the idea of 'barely' is expressed through the concept of effort or suffering, as à peine literally evokes the idea of doing something with difficulty.
- The French language uses peine to describe both a lack of quantity and the emotional pain of grief, such as in the phrase avoir de la peine.
Examples in context
- Il me parla à peine.He barely spoke to me.This sentence shows how to use à peine to describe a minimal amount of communication.Tatoeba #4544974 by Whidou, translation #4543769 by Hybrid
- Il sait à peine lire.He can barely read.This sentence demonstrates using à peine to describe a very limited ability.Tatoeba #1420227 by sacredceltic, translation #1477955 by CK
- Je sais à peine nager.I can barely swim.This sentence illustrates the use of à peine regarding a limited skill.Tatoeba #14827 by sacredceltic, translation #5858654 by CK
- J'ai à peine comprisI barely understood
- Il a tout juste réussi l'examenHe barely passed the exam
- J'ai à peine mangéI barely ate
- Il n'a presque pas travailléHe barely worked
- Je n'ai que très peu de tempsI have very little time
- 84 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are talking about a movie they just saw.
- ManonTu as aimé le film ?Did you like the movie?
- HugoHonnêtement, je l'ai à peine aimé.Honestly, I barely liked it.
- ManonC'était trop long pour toi ?Was it too long for you?
- HugoOui, je suis à peine resté éveillé.Yes, I barely stayed awake.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “barely” translations and entries à peine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries peine, à, à peine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
