sunkiai

Sunkiai is a Lithuanian adverb meaning “with difficulty,” “hardly,” or “scarcely.” It describes the manner in which an action is performed or the degree to which something occurs, and it is commonly used with verbs to express limited success, effort, or ease.

Etymology and form: Sunkiai is derived from the adjective sunkus, meaning “difficult” or “heavy.” The adverbial form is regular in Lithuanian, turning the qualitative sense of the adjective into a modifier that describes how an action is carried out.

Usage: Sunkiai typically precedes the verb it modifies, as in Jis sunkiai dirba (He works with difficulty). It can also appear in phrases such as sunkiai įmanoma (hardly possible) or sunkiai suprantama (difficult to understand). In translation, sunkiai is often rendered as “with difficulty,” but depending on context it can also mean “hardly” or “scarcely.” It can intensify statements about performance, outcome, or clarity.

Distinctions: Sunkiai differs from other Lithuanian adverbs of degree in that it emphasizes the struggle or low ease of the action rather than a simple quantitative measure. Its tone is generally neutral to slightly formal, and it is appropriate in both written and spoken Lithuanian, including journalism and literature.

See also: Lithuanian language, adverbs, sunkus.