hardly
word
/ˈhɑɹdɫi/
HAR-dlee
/hˈɑːdli/
HAH-dlee
Definition
Hardly means almost not or almost none. It can also mean only just, showing that something happens with difficulty or in a very small amount.
Usage & Nuances
Usually comes before the main verb: 'I hardly know him.' Common with 'ever', 'any', 'at all': 'hardly ever', 'hardly any'. Don't confuse it with 'hard'—'work hard' means with effort, but 'hardly work' means almost not work. In formal style, 'Hardly had I arrived when…' means 'as soon as'.
Spanish: apenas - casi noPortuguese (BR): mal - quase nãoPortuguese (PT): mal - quase nãoChinese (Simplified): 几乎不 - 几乎没有Chinese (Traditional): 幾乎不 - 幾乎沒有Hindi: मुश्किल से - लगभग नहींArabic: بالكاد - تقريبًا لاBengali: প্রায় না - খুব কমRussian: едва - почти неJapanese: ほとんど～ないVietnamese: hầu như khôngKorean: 거의 ~ 않다 - 거의 없다Turkish: hemen hemen hiç - neredeyse hiçUrdu: بمشکل - تقریباً نہیںIndonesian: hampir tidak - nyaris tidak
Example Sentences
There is hardly any sugar left.
basic
She could hardly walk after the game.
basic
We hardly ever see them these days.
natural
I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.
natural
Hardly had we sat down when the phone rang.
natural
I hardly eat meat now.
basic