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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
めったに
はたら
かない

He hardly ever works.
わたしたち
私達
せんせい
先生
めったに
わら
わない

Our teacher seldom laughs.
その
ちいき
地域
めったに
あめ
らない

It hardly ever rains in the area.
いま
わたし
めったに
えいが
映画
きません

Now I seldom go to the movies.
あんな
しんせつ
親切
ひと
たち
まずめったにいない
There are few if any such kind men.
いぬ
こうげき
攻撃
されなければ
めったにかまないもの
A dog seldom bites unless it is attacked.
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Kanji used in this grammar

ヒ   かれ he   
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ドウ   はたら to work   
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シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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タツ    arrive   
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セン   さき ahead   
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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 to give birth to   き pure, undiluted   お to grow, to sprout   はえる to grow, to sprout   はやす to grow, cultivate   
ショウ   わら to laugh   え to smile   
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チ   ジ    ground   
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イキ    region, area   
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ウ   あめ    あま- rain   
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コウ   おりる to get off   おろす to drop off   ふ to fall (eg rain)   
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コン   キン   いま now   
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エイ   はえる to shine   うつ to be reflected   うつ to reflect, project   
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ガ   カク   draw
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ケン   み to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
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コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆ    い to go   おこな to take place   
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シン   おや parent   したしい close, intimate   したしむ to befriend, grow close to   
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セツ   サイ   き to cut   きれる to break, to snap   
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ジン   ニン   ひと person   
ケン   いぬ dog   
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コウ   attack   せめる to launch an attack   
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ゲキ   う to trounce, to beat   
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