Nauwelijks
Example: Ik heb nauwelijks tijd om te ontspannen na het werk.
Definition
"Nauwelijks" is an adverb meaning barely or hardly, used to indicate that something happens to a very small extent or almost not at all. For example, in the sentence 'Ik heb nauwelijks tijd om te ontspannen na het werk,' it means having very little time to relax after work.
Etymology
The word "nauwelijks" originates from Dutch, combining "nauw" meaning narrow or close and the suffix "-elijks" which forms adverbs. It literally suggests something that occurs narrowly or scarcely. Did you know that its use reflects the idea of something happening just within a narrow margin or limit?
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"Nauwelijks" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - (B1) - set 1", containing 119 commonly used words.
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