едва

Barely and Only with Едва

Level 4Sounds Like edva

Едва го чух. (I barely heard him.) Едва вчера разбрах. (I only found out yesterday.)

How It Works

1. Barely, with difficulty. The action does happen, but only just:

  • Едва стигнахме навреме. (We barely made it on time.)
  • Този текст едва се чете. (This text is barely readable.)

Doubled, едва-едва means very slowly or very faintly: Колата вървеше едва-едва. (The car was barely moving.)

2. Not until. Before a time word or a когато clause, едва stresses that something happened late:

  • Едва вчера разбрах. (I only found out yesterday.)
  • Едва когато си тръгна, разбрах колко ми липсва. (Only when he left did I realize how much I missed him.)

This is close to чак: Чак вчера разбрах means the same thing.

3. Only, just. For a small amount or an early stage: Беше едва на двадесет години. (She was only twenty.) Филмът едва започна. (The film has only just started.) Compare току-що.

4. Not the same as само or едва ли. Само limits to one thing but does not mean late: Само вчера валя. (It rained only yesterday, on no other day.) Едва ли means hardly likely: Едва ли ще дойде. (He is unlikely to come.)

Examples (6)

  1. Едва го чух.

    I barely heard him.

  2. Едва вчера разбрах за сватбата.

    I only found out about the wedding yesterday.

    Едва + time: it happened later than expected.

  3. Едва стигнахме навреме за влака.

    We barely made it on time for the train.

  4. Беше едва на двадесет години, когато замина.

    She was only twenty when she left.

  5. Едва когато си тръгна, разбрах колко ми липсва.

    Only when he left did I realize how much I missed him.

  6. Филмът едва започна, а вече ми е скучно.

    The film has only just started, and I'm already bored.

Common Mistakes

  • Using само for "not until".

    Само вчера разбрах.
    Едва вчера разбрах.

    Само вчера means yesterday and no other day. To say you found out late, use едва or чак.

  • Using едва ли for "barely".

    Едва ли го чух.
    Едва го чух.

    Едва ли means hardly likely. For barely, use едва on its own.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

едваLevel 4Barely and Only with Едва

Learn This First

Barely and only follows само.

Words in This Pattern