This is the 642nd most frequent Spanish word.
apenas
Barely; hardly; as soon as.
In this sentence, 'apenas' means 'hardly' and is used to signify that one event occurred immediately following another.
Apenas llegué a casa, comenzó a llover.
Hardly had I arrived home when it started to rain.
In this sentence, 'apenas' means 'barely' and is used to express scarcity or limitation.
Apenas si tengo tiempo para descansar.
I barely have time to rest.
In this sentence, 'apenas' is used to indicate an action or state that happens with difficulty or slightness, translating as 'scarcely.'