Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Apenas tengo tiempo hoy, por eso trabajo desde casa. - I hardly have time today, so I’m working from home.

Apenas means “hardly/barely” and expresses a very small amount. In Apenas tengo tiempo hoy, it suggests you have almost no time at all. It’s slightly stronger and more concise than saying tengo muy poco tiempo (“I have very little time”).

Do I need to add no with apenas (e.g., No tengo apenas tiempo)?

Both are acceptable in Spain:

Apenas tengo tiempo (standard, neutral).
No tengo apenas tiempo (very common in everyday speech; a bit more colloquial/emphatic). Avoid No apenas tengo tiempo, which sounds wrong. If you use casi, you do need no: Casi no tengo tiempo.

Can I replace apenas with casi no? Any nuance difference?

Yes: Casi no tengo tiempo hoy, por eso trabajo desde casa is natural. Nuances:

apenas feels slightly more emphatic/concise.
casi no is very common and neutral-colloquial. Meaning in practice is the same.

Does apenas ever mean “as soon as”? Is that relevant here?

Yes. Apenas can mean “as soon as”: Apenas llegó, me llamó (“As soon as he arrived, he called me”). That’s a different use (a temporal conjunction) and not what’s happening in your sentence, where apenas = “hardly/barely.”

Can I move hoy to the front: Hoy apenas tengo tiempo? Any difference?

Both are correct:

Hoy apenas tengo tiempo, por eso trabajo desde casa (emphasizes “today”).
Apenas tengo tiempo hoy, por eso trabajo desde casa (balanced). Avoid Apenas hoy tengo tiempo, which tends to read as “Only today I have time,” and sounds odd in this context.

Can apenas go after the verb (tengo apenas tiempo)?

Possible but less common in Spain. The preferred, most natural position is before the verb: Apenas tengo tiempo. You might also see literary apenas si tengo tiempo (“I hardly have time”), which is formal/old‑fashioned.

Is the comma before por eso correct? Could I use a semicolon or start a new sentence?

Yes, the comma is correct. You can also use a semicolon or start a new sentence:

Apenas tengo tiempo hoy; por eso trabajo desde casa.
Apenas tengo tiempo hoy. Por eso trabajo desde casa. No second comma is needed after por eso.

What’s the difference between por eso and porque here?

por eso = “that’s why” (introduces the consequence):
Apenas tengo tiempo hoy, por eso trabajo desde casa.
porque = “because” (introduces the cause):
Trabajo desde casa porque apenas tengo tiempo hoy. You can also lead with the cause using como: Como apenas tengo tiempo hoy, trabajo desde casa.

Could I use other connectors like así que or por lo tanto?

Yes:

así que (very common, informal‑neutral): …, así que trabajo desde casa.
por lo tanto (more formal): …, por lo tanto trabajo desde casa.
More advanced: de ahí que
- subjunctive: Apenas tengo tiempo hoy; de ahí que trabaje desde casa.

Why desde casa and not en casa? Are they interchangeable?

Trabajo desde casa = “I work from home” (remote setup; the action is done from that location).
Trabajo en casa = “I work at home” (focus on physical location; could also be taken as doing housework or simply being at home while working).
In Spain, trabajar desde casa is the usual expression for remote work.

Do I need a possessive or article with casa (e.g., desde mi casa, desde la casa)?

Spanish often omits the possessive/article with casa when it’s your own: en casa, a casa, desde casa.
Use desde mi casa if you need to specify it’s your house (e.g., contrasting with someone else’s). Desde la casa sounds odd for “from home” in Spain unless you mean a specific house previously identified.

Does trabajo here mean “I am working” or “I will work”? Why not estoy trabajando?

Spanish simple present often covers current/near‑future arrangements, especially with a time adverb:

Hoy trabajo desde casa = “I’m working from home today.”
Hoy estoy trabajando desde casa emphasizes the action in progress right now.
Hoy voy a trabajar desde casa focuses on the plan/decision for today.
All are correct; choice depends on nuance.

Is teletrabajar used in Spain? Could I say Por eso teletrabajo?

Yes. Teletrabajar is widely used. Alternatives:

Por eso teletrabajo.
Por eso estoy teletrabajando (hoy).
Por eso trabajo desde casa.
All are natural; the last is the most neutral.

Is por eso the same as por esto or por eso es que?

por eso is the default “that’s why,” referring back to what was just said.
por esto is rarer and tends to point to something you’re about to mention or are holding up as a reason.
por eso es que / es por eso que is used, but in Spain it can sound redundant or overly formal; por eso alone is usually best.

Any quick pronunciation tips for Spain?

apenas: a‑PE‑nas [aˈpenas] (stress on PE).
por eso: po‑RÉ‑so [poɾ ˈeso] (single tapped r).
desde: DES‑de [ˈdesðe] (the d between vowels softens to [ð]).
casa: CA‑sa [ˈkasa] (s as in “see”; don’t pronounce it like caza [ˈkaθa]).