appena

just

adverb ahp-PEH-nah Less Common

Origin: from Latin 'ad poenam', with difficulty

Also means

as soon as

Usage Note

Appena means 'just now' for recent actions (sono appena arrivato) but also 'barely' or 'hardly' (si vede appena). As a conjunction it means 'as soon as', often strengthened to non appena. The sense shifts entirely with context, so listen carefully.

Examples

"Sono appena uscito di casa."

Natural Translation

I have just left the house.

Literal Translation

Am just left of house.

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