hardly ever
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- 1 hardly ever、rarely
This negative pattern emphasizes that an action happens very rarely or that a quality or state is present only to a small degree.
hardly ever、rarely
Indicates that an action happens very infrequently, if at all.
Learning notes
Explanation
The usual structure is ไม่ค่อย + verb or state word + เลย. The middle position can contain an action such as ดู “watch” or a quality such as อร่อย “tasty.” ไม่ค่อย already means “not often” or “not very.” The following เลย adds emphasis, highlighting how low the frequency or degree is. With an action verb, the pattern normally describes low frequency. With a quality, condition, or mental state, it describes a low degree. The pattern ไม่ค่อยได้ + verb + เลย often means that someone has had very little opportunity to do something or has hardly done it.
Usage
This pattern is common in everyday conversation when discussing infrequent habits or activities and when giving a negative assessment of food, places, health, understanding, or other conditions. It also works in polite conversation when followed by ครับ or ค่ะ.
Caution
Although this is an emphatic negative pattern, it does not necessarily mean “never” or “completely not.” Use ไม่...เลย when an absolute zero is intended. เลย normally comes after the verb or state being negated.