French translation of hardly is 
guère

Meaning of "hardly" in English

"Hardly" is an adverb that denotes something done with difficulty or the notion of barely occurring. It often suggests a lack of ease or sufficiency, expressing that an event or action is unlikely or rare. It can also be used to moderate statements, implying that the occurrence or achievement of something falls short of expectations. For example, in contexts like "He hardly eats," it implies that the person almost never eats or does so infrequently.

Meaning of "guère" in French

In French, "guère" is an adverb used to express the notion of scarcely or hardly. It typically appears in negative constructions and serves to emphasize minimal amounts or occurrences. For instance, in the phrase "il ne mange guère," it underscores that the person eats very little or rarely. While "guère" can operate in various contexts, its primary purpose is to diminish the extent or frequency of an action.

Pronunciation of "hardly" in English

Phonetic Transcription: /ˈhɑːrd.li/

Pronunciation Variations: In British English, the 'r' is less pronounced compared to American English. In some dialects, you might hear variations like /ˈhɑːd.li/ or /ˈhɒːd.li/.

Pronunciation of "guère" in French

Phonetic Transcription: /ɡɛʁ/

Pronunciation Variations: The pronunciation might vary slightly in different regions, but generally remains consistent. The 'r' is pronounced as a guttural 'r' typical in French.

Sentence examples in English and translation to French

1. He could hardly believe his eyes. (Il ne pouvait guère en croire ses yeux.)
2. She hardly ever goes to the gym. (Elle ne va guère à la gym.)
3. We hardly have any time left. (Nous n'avons guère de temps restant.)
4. They hardly know each other. (Ils ne se connaissent guère.)
5. I could hardly hear what he was saying. (Je pouvais guère entendre ce qu'il disait.)
6. The weather was hardly pleasant. (Le temps n'était guère agréable.)
7. He hardly eats anything these days. (Il ne mange guère ces jours-ci.)
8. She hardly spoke throughout the meeting. (Elle ne parlait guère pendant la réunion.)
9. They hardly managed to escape. (Ils ne parvinrent guère à s'échapper.)
10. I hardly recognized you. (Je t'ai guère reconnu.)

Synonyms, antonyms, and similar words for "hardly" in English

Synonyms: barely, scarcely, rarely, seldom, infrequently, hardly ever, sparsely, minimally, faintly, just.

Antonyms: often, frequently, regularly, commonly, usually, abundantly, always, consistently, frequently, normally.

Similar Words: not quite, almost not, marginally, narrowly, barely, just hardly, thinly, nearly, slightly.

Synonyms, antonyms, and similar words for "guère" in French

Synonyms: à peine, rarement, peu, rarement, difficilement, faiblement, peu souvent, non souvent, seulement, rarement.

Antonyms: souvent, fréquemment, régulièrement, habituellement, normalement, constamment, largement, abondamment, beaucoup, toujours.

Similar Words: presque pas, peu, à peine, rarement, presque, difficilement, juste, quasiment, légèrement, miniquement.

Disclaimer: These examples may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Translate.com, or its company Translate LLC. We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to our team.