めったに
mettani
The Japanese word for 'rarely' is めったに (mettani).
めったに is used to describe the frequency of an action or state, specifically implying that it almost never occurs.
Meaning: to a rare degree (adv)
Which one should you use?
While めったに describes things that almost never happen, you might use the formal expression ごくまれに to mean 'very rarely' or 'exceptionally'. For a more informal way to say something does not happen much or not very often, you can use あんまり〜ない.
How do you pronounce it?
mettani
Did you know?
- While めったに describes frequency, Japanese uses entirely different words like 珍しい (mezurashii) to describe something that is 'rare' as a quality or characteristic.
- The word めったに is almost always paired with a negative verb, such as ない or ません, to complete its meaning. Using it with a positive verb is a common mistake that changes the sentence into something nonsensical.
- The word まれ (rare), which is the root of ごくまれに, can also be used as a noun to refer to a 'rarity' or a 'wonder' in classical literature.
Examples in context
- めったに泣かないよ。I rarely cry.This sentence is useful for practicing how to use めったに with the verb for crying.Tatoeba #10309126 by small_snow, translation #6358631 by CK
- 彼はめったに腹を立てない。He rarely gets angry.This sentence is useful for practicing how to use めったに with the verb for getting angry.Tatoeba #110648 by tommy__san, translation #1470428 by CH
- トムはめったに遅刻しない。Tom is rarely late.This sentence is useful for practicing how to use めったに with the verb for being late.Tatoeba #1167093 by bunbuku, translation #1024888 by CK
- 彼はめったに遅刻しません。He rarely arrives late.
- 私たちはごくまれに映画を見に行きます。We rarely go to the movies.
- 私はあんまり釣りに行かない。I don't go fishing very often.
- 彼とのデートはめっちゃ少ない。I rarely go on dates with him.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are talking about their eating habits.
- 蓮 Ren最近、外食はめったにしないよ。Saikin, gaishoku wa mettani shinai yo.I rarely eat out these days.
- 美咲 Misakiえっ、本当？自炊してるの？E', hontou? Jisui shiteru no?Oh, really? Are you cooking for yourself?
- 蓮 Renうん。健康に気をつけたいからね。Un. Kenkou ni ki o tsuketai kara ne.Yeah. I want to be careful about my health.
- 美咲 Misakiすごいね。私はめったに料理しないのに。Sugoi ne. Watashi wa mettani ryouri shinai noni.That's impressive. I rarely cook.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
