How to say "hardly" in Japanese

• ほとんどJLPT N4approx.Common
  adverbCovers 'hardly' meaning 'almost not at all' — hardly any, hardly ever. It expresses degree or amount, fitting statements like having hardly any time, or hardly anyone being there.
  ケイトは中国語ちゅうごくごをほとんど話はなせない。↗

  Kate can hardly speak Chinese.
• まさかJLPT N3approx.Common
  adverbCovers 'hardly (expected)': the exclamatory sense of disbelief — 'surely not', 'it can hardly be true'. It is really an exclamation of surprise, not a degree word, so it is seldom the word for 'hardly any'.
• ようやくJLPT N2approx.Common
  adverbCovers 'hardly' as 'barely, only just' — succeeding after effort or delay. The action does happen, but narrowly; it is not the word for 'hardly any' or 'almost not at all'.
  ９時じ２０分ぶんの汽車きしゃにようやく間に合まにあった。↗

  I barely made the 9:20 train.

Use 「ほとんど」 for 'hardly' meaning 'almost not at all' (hardly any, hardly ever), 「ようやく」 for 'barely, only just managed', and 「まさか」 only for the exclamatory 'hardly expected, surely not' sense.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• ほとんどhardly
• まさかcertainly (not)
• ようやくbarely
• いくつもhardly
• ようやっとbarely
• ようようbarely
• どれほど(not) many
• いくらも(not) much