difficult / hard, probably impossible

a little; slightly

a little; a few

little by little

(colloquial) Alternative form of もう少し (mō sukoshi)

(with negative sentences) anything of, not one bit

a job; an occupation; work / job, work (task) / (physics) work, change of energy

to work

(と〜) thinking that […] (with the next clause explaining that the truth is contrary to expectations)

to seem, to appear