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かろうじて

barely, only just

かろうじて + Verb (usually past)

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かろうじて means something only just succeeded, and very nearly didn't: かろうじて終電に間に合った, "I only just made the last train".

The result is positive but the margin is tiny: passing by one point, surviving by luck, winning by a single goal. It's usually past tense, because you're reporting a narrow escape.

It's close to なんとか and どうにか ("somehow, managed to"), which focus on the effort. かろうじて focuses on how close it was to failure. ぎりぎり is the casual version.

Compare ようやく (N2), "at last, finally", which is about a long wait, not a narrow margin. And やっと can mean both, depending on context.

It comes from the classical からくして, "with hardship".

Examples

  • 走はしって、かろうじて終電しゅうでんに間まに合あった。

    I ran and only just made the last train.

  • 試験しけんにはかろうじて合格ごうかくした。

    I barely passed the exam.

  • 事故じこに遭あったが、かろうじて命いのちは助たすかった。

    He was in an accident but barely survived.

  • 悲かなしい知しらせを聞きいたが、彼かれはかろうじて笑顔えがおを作つくった。

    He heard the sad news but just managed to force a smile.

  • 一点差いってんさで、かろうじて勝かった。

    We won, but only just, by a single point.

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