à peine and multiple meanings

Question

In my readings of french, I come across this expression frequently, but it seems to have several different meanings. I would appreciate a lesson on the many different meanings for "à peine".

Thanks!

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Rebecca,
They are both used quite often and yet it can be difficult to see the different between both.
‘ne … guère’ is used in a more formal context than ‘à peine’. As mentioned in the lesson, it is rarely used nowadays.

Je peux à peine bouger = I can barely move (I can move but with difficulty)
Je ne peux guère bouger = I can hardly move (it is almost impossible to move)

I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée!