Meaning of abia | Babel Free
aˈbjaDefinitions
- hardly, barely (with difficulty)
- hardly, barely, scarcely (in a very small measure)
- only, just (no more than)
- just, only just, scarce (not long ago)
- no sooner than; only
Equivalents
Examples
“седерепᲄᲂуⷧ҇а҆бїасеспⷭ҇ъще. е҆некᲂураᲄᲂуⷧ҇шипъкъᲅосᲂуⷧ҇. ю҆ѡ҆̀севорꙋиви.”
And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (1 Peter 4:18)
“Шѝ а҆̀чѣс̾тѣ зикъ́нд̾, а҆биѧ̀ ѡ҆прн́рѫ премꙋлци́ме съ нꙋ фа́кѫ лꙋи жръ́твѫ.”
And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto him. (Acts 14:18)
“Абі̆а аm пᲈtᲈt tіndе mъnа ка sъ sᲈn.”
I could hardly extend my hand to ring.
“Iorgu abia-și mai putù stăpâni rîsul.”
Iorgu could hardly contain his laughter anymore.
“Pe-o piatră de hotar vezi un gîndac. Pe multele-i picioare-abia se ține.”
On a boundary stone you see a bug. On its many legs it can hardly stand.
“Abia ai loc să te-ntorci înăuntrul ei, abia poți zări ceva în dârele de lumină de pe ferestrele de sus, și abia poți respira fumul gros, mirosind a tămâie și ceară, ce umple golul dintre pereții de piatră brută.”
You scarcely have any room inside it to turn, you can scarcely see anything in the streaks of light coming though the upper windows, and you can scarcely breathe the thick smoke, smelling of frankincense and wax, which fills the void between the bare stone walls.
“Ра́рь шѝ Га́лбън҅ ла пъ́рь · а҆бьѧ̀ месᲅека̀ кърꙋн҅ᲅѧ́це ·”
Sparse and yellow of hair, he only scarcely had some gray mixed in.
“Flĕcăii abia se legănau in joc, și hora se invĕrtea foarte incet.”
The youths were hardly swaying in their dance, and the hora was rotating very slowly.
“Stea, care subt carul cel mare abia licărești nedumerită ’ntre șapte lumini, a cui stea ești?”
Star, who below the Great Dipper barely shines indistinct among seven lights, whose star are you?
“[…]fiindcă cine eram eu? Un critic literar abia cunoscut, un redactor-șef al unei reviste din provincie.”
[…] because who was I? A barely known literary critic, an editor-in-chief of a provincial journal.
“Virtuțile socialiste nu au trecere, pentru că la noi limbajul virtuții este exclusiv bisericesc și abia dacă are conținut moral[…], darămite unul politic.”
Socialist virtues have no currency, given that here the language of virtue is exclusively ecclesiastic and barely has any moral substance […], let alone a political one.
“Acela era fiiŭ de negustor: vețĭ găsi abia unul la miiă asemenea luĭ dintre ceĭ încoronațĭ.”
He was a merchant’s son: among crowned heads you’ll find no more than one in a thousand like him.
“Abia vreo câțiva țărani bătrâni și slăbănogi mai forfoteau și se înghesuiau[…]”
Only a few old, scrawny peasants were bustling and swarming […]
“Cum a putut exista o asemenea confuzie la abia a doua generație după Basarab?”
How could such an oversight exist only two generations after Basarab?
“Къндь а҆мꙋ И҆са́кь е҆ра̀ с́фръшить бл҄҃гве́нїꙗ лꙋи І҆а҆кѡ́вь · шѝ І҆а҆кѡ́вь а҆бїꙗ е҆ра̀ е҆ши́ть а҆фа́рѫ динаи҆́нтѣ лꙋи И҆́са́кь тътѫнисъꙋ · ви́не І҆са́вь а҆челꙋи фра́те де́ ла въна́ть”
And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. (Genesis 27:30)
“О вᲈлпе де ані̆ мікъ,ꙟнсъ де мінте маре, Ші каре месеріа абіа ш’о ꙟнчепᲈсе[…]”
A fox young of years, but great of wit, And which had only just begun its profession […]
“Dar stăpănii unde sunt? La ceasul acesta ei stau a lene in paturile lor. Unii abia se trezesc, alții abia sĕ^([sic]) culcă.”
But where are their masters? At this hour they languish in their beds. Some are just waking up, others are just going to bed.
“Anca Vogel îl privi încruntată și stinse nervos țigara abia începută.”
Anca Vogel frowned at him and irritably extinguished the only just lit cigarette.
“Își făceau rău, făcându-ne rău și nouă, și abia născutei speranțe.”
They were harming themselves, additionally harming both us and the hope only just arisen.
“Гръбіндꙋсе тоатъ зіоа, кꙋ сꙋфлетꙋл не’м пъкат, Абі̆а токма кътре сѣръ ꙟнтр’алт цінꙋт а ꙟнтрат.”
Hurrying all day, with despondent soul, Only right towards evening did he enter another land.
“Poate de mult s’au stins in drum In departări albastre, Ear raza ei abia acum Lucì vederii noastre.”
Perhaps it’s long extinguished on its way In blue remoteness, And only now did its ray Shine to our sight.
“Abia când m’am întors am văzut-o.”
Only when I turned around did I see her.
“„Florence a sesizat, draga mea, a sesizat imediat. Nu și Ioniță, iar bietul Șerbănică se va dumiri abia săptămîna viitoare.“”
Florence has noticed, my dear, she noticed immediately. Not Ioniță, though, and poor Șerbănică will only get it next week.
“Dacă încearcă cineva să ne calce pe bătătură, să știi că prima dată îți zbor creierii și abia dup-aia o să văd care-i treaba.”
If someone tries to push our buttons, I’ll have you know that first I’ll blow your brains out and only then I’ll figure out what the matter is.
CEFR level
This word is part of the CEFR A2 vocabulary — elementary level.
Know this word better than we do? Language is a living thing — help us keep it growing. Collaborate with Babel Free