1. to succeed in getting to or touching something with difficulty, by a small margin
He barely reached the top shelf with his fingertips.
Ele mal conseguiu chegar ao topo da prateleira com a ponta dos dedos.
2. to achieve or attain something with minimal effort or resources
The company barely reached its sales target this quarter.
A empresa mal conseguiu alcançar sua meta de vendas neste trimestre.
3. to arrive at a place with difficulty or just in time
We barely reached the station before the train departed.
Mal conseguimos chegar à estação antes do trem partir.