わずかに: 'Slightly / Barely' (Meaning + Examples)
Emphasizing that something is small in degree or amount
わずかに modifies a verb or clause to say the change or quantity involved was minimal — often used to note a small but real difference, not literally zero.
今日は気温がわずかに上昇した。
きょうは きおんが わずかに じょうしょうした。
Today the temperature rose only slightly.
わずかに上昇 = a real but tiny increase, not a big jump.
やったんはわずかに微笑んだだけだった。
やったんは わずかに ほほえんだだけだった。
Yattan only gave the faintest smile.
Describes a barely-there gesture, not a full reaction.
モチとやったんの差は、わずかに1点だった。
モチと やったんの さは、わずかに 1てんだった。
The difference between Mochi and Yattan was just one point.
What it attaches to
わずか is a な-adjective at heart; 〜に turns it into an adverb before a verb, while わずかな attaches directly before a noun.
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adverb (before verb) | わずかに + verb | わずかに動いた |
| Attributive (before noun) | わずかな + noun | わずかな希望 |
| With a number | わずか + number | 参加者はわずか20人だった |
このわずかな違いが重要だ。
この わずかな ちがいが じゅうようだ。
This slight difference is important.
Don't confuse with かろうじて
わずかに describes a small amount or degree of something. かろうじて means "barely, just managing to" and describes succeeding at something under difficult conditions (かろうじて間に合った = "barely made it in time"). わずかに is about quantity or magnitude; かろうじて is about a narrow margin of success. They can overlap in translation ("barely") but describe different things — smallness vs. a close call.
The short version
- わずかに = "slightly" / "a little" / "barely" — emphasizes a small amount or degree.
- Attaches to: verbs (わずかに + verb); as わずかな before a noun; as わずか before a number.
- Nuance/register: neutral-to-formal; common in reports, statistics, and precise description.
- Don't confuse with: かろうじて ("barely managed to," about a close call, not quantity).
Practice it
Choose わずかに where the sentence emphasizes a small amount or degree of change.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
気温が＿＿＿上昇した。
Where わずかに fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜ずに · N3 — 〜ずに means doing one thing without doing another: 食べずに ('without eating'). Learn the formation, the irregular せずに, and how it differs from 〜ないで and 〜なくて.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜を兼ねて — 〜を兼ねて means 'combining X with' — one action that serves two purposes at once, like a trip that is both sightseeing and business. It attaches to a noun and signals efficient, dual-purpose action.
- 〜を契機に — 〜を契機に means 'triggered by' or 'taking X as the turning point' — a formal way to say an event caused a significant change. It attaches to a noun and is common in news about policy, society, and life changes.
- 〜をきっかけに — 〜をきっかけに means 'triggered by' or 'as a result of' — a friendly, everyday way to name the event that started a change. It attaches to a noun and works equally well in casual talk and writing.
- 〜をこめて — 〜をこめて means 'putting X into it' — doing something while filling it with an emotion like love, gratitude, or hope. It attaches to a noun naming the feeling and is common with gifts, letters, and prayers.
- 〜をめぐって — 〜をめぐって marks the topic a dispute, debate, or negotiation revolves around — 'concerning/over X' — typically followed by verbs like 争う, 対立する, or 議論する; the noun-modifying form is 〜をめぐる + Noun.
- 〜をもとに — 〜をもとに means 'based on / using X as a foundation,' marking data, experience, or material that gets reworked into something new; softer than に基づいて, which implies strict, faithful adherence to a source.