Italian Expression · Intermediate
a malapena
barely / hardly
Pronunciation: a ma-la-PÈ-na
Meaning
Only just; almost not; with great difficulty.
Example
Ho a malapena dormito la notte scorsa.
I barely slept last night.
Practice tips
- Practice a malapena out loud — read the pronunciation guide above and repeat.
- Use it in your own sentence today; reuse beats rereading.
- Pay attention to context: this Italian expression is for intermediate-level learners.