means "slightly", "faintly": something happens or differs, but only by a very small amount. It is an adverb and goes in front of the verb or adjective. It is usually written in kana, わずかに, and sounds more written than
.
。
The temperature rose slightly.
。
The door was open just a crack.
。
Her voice trembled faintly.
僅かに or 少し
and
are what you say in conversation. 僅かに belongs to news, reports and descriptive writing, and it stresses how small the amount is.
。
Sales rose slightly this month.
。
It's a bit warmer than yesterday, isn't it?
Usage notes
These go beyond "slightly".
わずか before a number
With a number, ordinary Japanese drops the に: means "only, a mere". 僅かに before a number is literary.
。
There were only three participants.
わずかな before a noun
Before a noun, the form is : "a slight difference", "a little money".
。
The other team won by a narrow margin.
Lingaku