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Grammar detail: めったに〜ない

めったに〜ない
rarely, seldom, hardly ever~
113 words
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めったに + verb negative
means
rarely or seldom do X; X hardly ever happens; X is very uncommon.
This is a frequently used expression in spoken and written language. It is used to express that one rarely does X. It can also be used to express that X hardly ever happens, or is very uncommon.
The structure is always a combination of めったに and the negative form of a verb; the plain form or polite (masen/ません) form. The verb may follow めったに directly or they may be separated. This will depend on the structure of the clause or sentence.
かれ
彼
はめったに
はたら
働
かない
。
He hardly ever works.
わたしたち
私達
の
せんせい
先生
はめったに
わら
笑
わない
。
Our teacher seldom laughs.
その
ちいき
地域
はめったに
あめ
雨
が
ふ
降
らない
。
It hardly ever rains in the area.
いま
今
、
わたし
私
はめったに
えいが
映画
を
み
見
に
い
行
きません
。
Now I seldom go to the movies.
あんな
しんせつ
親切
な
ひと
人
たち
はまずめったにいない。
There are few if any such kind men.
いぬ
犬
は
こうげき
攻撃
されなければ
めったにかまないものだ。
A dog seldom bites unless it is attacked.
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Kanji used in this grammar

彼
ヒ   かれ he   
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働
ドウ   はたらく to work   
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私
シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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達
タツ    arrive   
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先
セン   さき ahead   
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生
セイ   ショウ    life   なま raw   いかす to enliven   いきる to live   いける to arrange flowers   うまれる to be born   うむ to give birth to   き pure, undiluted   おう to grow, to sprout   はえる to grow, to sprout   はやす to grow, cultivate   
笑
ショウ   わらう to laugh   えむ to smile   
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地
チ   ジ    ground   
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域
イキ    region, area   
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雨
ウ   あめ    あま- rain   
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降
コウ   おりる to get off   おろす to drop off   ふる to fall (eg rain)   
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今
コン   キン   いま now   
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映
エイ   はえる to shine   うつる to be reflected   うつす to reflect, project   
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画
ガ   カク   draw
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見
ケン   みる to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
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行
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆく    いく to go   おこなう to take place   
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親
シン   おや parent   したしい close, intimate   したしむ to befriend, grow close to   
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切
セツ   サイ   きる to cut   きれる to break, to snap   
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人
ジン   ニン   ひと person   
犬
ケン   いぬ dog   
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攻
コウ   attack   せめる to launch an attack   
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撃
ゲキ   うつ to trounce, to beat   
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