hardly
gb/hˈɑɹdli/ us/hˈɑɹdli/
A2
Inglés
~ 1200
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adverb
A2
property
1
Almost not at all
Used to say that something is almost not true or happens very little.
Patrón de uso:
hardly [verb]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hardly' with 'with difficulty.' In modern English, 'hardly' usually means 'almost not,' not 'with hard effort.'
Sinónimos
barely (Very close in meaning; often interchangeable, but 'barely' can sometimes sound slightly more formal or emphatic.)
Antónimos
easily (Opposite in the sense of something being done with no difficulty instead of almost not at all.)
Colocaciones
hardly ever
|hardly noticeable
|hardly worth it
|hardly enough
Temas
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- I can hardly hear you over the noise.
- She hardly spoke during the meeting.
- We hardly have enough time to finish this project.
- It's hardly surprising that they lost the game.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I hardly know him.
- She hardly eats any sweets.
- We hardly have any milk left.
- He hardly talks in class.
adverb
B1
relation
2
Only a short time ago
Used to say something happened not long before another thing.
Patrón de uso:
hardly [past perfect verb] when [past tense clause]
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse this with the simple past. This pattern often uses the past perfect for the first clause and past tense for the second.
Sinónimos
scarcely (Very similar meaning; 'scarcely' is slightly more formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antónimos
long before (Indicates much more time between two events, opposite of 'only just before.')
Colocaciones
had hardly begun
|hardly finished
|hardly started
Temas
daily life
|storytelling
|time
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- I had hardly sat down when the phone rang.
- She had hardly started her speech before the fire alarm went off.
- We had hardly arrived when it began to rain.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I had hardly eaten when he called.
- She had hardly begun when it was time to stop.
- We had hardly left when it started to snow.
Gramática
Expresiones
can hardly wait
1/kən hˈɑɹdli wˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
Very eager for something
Used to say you are very excited about something that will happen soon.
Ejemplos
- I can hardly wait for the weekend to arrive.
- She can hardly wait to see her family again.
could hardly believe
1/kˈʊd hˈɑɹdli bɪlˈiv/
fixed phrase
Almost unable to believe
Used to say you found something very surprising or hard to accept as true.
Ejemplos
- I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the price.
- He could hardly believe she had won the race.
hardly ever
1/hˈɑɹdli ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
Almost never
Used to say that something happens very rarely.
Ejemplos
- I hardly ever go to the cinema these days.
- She hardly ever eats chocolate.
- She hardly ever eats meat.