How to Say "Rarely" in French

rarement

/ʁaʁ.mɑ̃/

The English phrase "rarely" is translated into French as rarement.

rarement is an adverb used to describe an action or state that occurs to a rare degree.

Meaning: to a rare degree (adv)

How do you pronounce it?

The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /ʁaʁ.mɑ̃/.

The word rarement shares a root with the English word 'rare', both descending from the Latin 'rarus', meaning 'thinly sown' or 'wide apart'.
To say 'rarely' in a casual way, French speakers often avoid rarement and instead say pas souvent, which literally means 'not often'.
In certain poetic French contexts, rarement can be used to emphasize how precious a moment is, moving beyond mere statistical frequency.

Je fais rarement cela.
I rarely do that.
This sentence is useful for showing how to use rarement to describe the frequency of an action.
Tatoeba #6285927 by Aiji, translation #5860709 by CK
Je me trompe rarement.
I rarely make a mistake.
This sentence is useful for showing how to use rarement to describe how often a mistake is made.
Tatoeba #8395988 by Aiji, translation #5916499 by CK
Il y est rarement allé.
He rarely went there.
This sentence is useful for showing how to use rarement to describe the frequency of visiting a place.
Tatoeba #1287111 by sacredceltic, translation #1287081 by CK
Je vais rarement à la plage.
I rarely go to the beach.
Je me permets rarement de prendre une pause.
I rarely allow myself to take a break.
Je rencontre rarement des difficultés dans mon travail.
I rarely encounter difficulties in my work.
Je ne regarde presque jamais la télévision.
I rarely watch television.
Je vais quasi jamais à la bibliothèque.
I rarely go to the library.
Il neige rarement à Marseille.
It rarely snows in Marseille.
Je mange presque jamais de fast-food.
I rarely eat fast food.
117 more sentences on Tatoeba

Lucas and Chloé are talking about their eating habits at home.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏