To get the sense of "barely" use tlhoS with a negative verb:

tlhoS chab vISop - "I almost ate pie" (ie "I didn't eat pie")
tlhoS chab vISopbe' - "I almost didn't eat pie" (ie "I ate pie, but only barely")

tlhoS Duj vIqIp - "I almost hit the ship (ie "I missed it")
tlhoS Duj vIqIpbe' - "I almost didn't hit the ship" (ie "I hit it, but only barely")