せっかく<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='637'>日本語（にほんご）</span>を<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='397'>勉強（べんきょう）</span>したけど、<strong>めったに</strong>話（はな）さ<strong>ない</strong>ね。

<strong>めったに</strong>泣（な）か<strong>ない</strong><span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='564'>彼（かれ）</span>が泣（な）いていた。

うちの親（おや）は<strong>めったに</strong>怒（おこ）り<strong>ません</strong>が、<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='687'>本当（ほんとう）</span>に<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='24' data-vocab-id='586'>悪（わる）い</span>ことをした<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='652'>時（とき）</span>には怒（おこ）ります。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='101'>こんな</span>に<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='7' data-vocab-id='16'>いい</span>話（はな）しは<strong>めったにない</strong>。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='564'>彼（かれ）</span>は出不精（でぶしょう）<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='154'>だから</span>、<strong>めったに</strong>出（で）かけ<strong>ない</strong>。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='672'>最近（さいきん）</span>は<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='564'>彼（かれ）</span>に<strong>めったに</strong>会（あ）わ<strong>ない</strong>。<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='493'>どう</span>したんだろう？

<strong>めったに</strong><span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='685'>本（ほん）</span>を読（よ）み<strong>ません</strong>が、珍（めずら）しく読（よ）みたい<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='685'>本（ほん）</span>があったので買（か）ってみました。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='782'>父（ちち）</span>は<strong>めったに</strong><span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='167'>テレビ</span>を見（み）<strong>ない</strong>。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='564'>彼（かれ）</span>は<strong>めったに</strong>忘（わす）れ<strong>ない</strong>のに、<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='309'>今日（きょう）</span>は<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='493'>どう</span>したんだろう？

<strong>めったに</strong>休（やす）ま<strong>ない</strong><span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='564'>彼（かれ）</span>が休（やす）んでいるの<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='154'>だから</span>、かなり<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='332'>体調（たいちょう）</span>が<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='24' data-vocab-id='586'>悪（わる）い</span>んだろうな。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='567'>彼女（かのじょ）</span><span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='189'>について</span>の悪口（わるぐち）を<strong>めったに</strong>聞（き）か<strong>ない</strong>。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='349'>僕（ぼく）</span>のおじいちゃんは<strong>めったに</strong>笑（わら）わ<strong>ない</strong>。

ほとんど〜ないvs. めったに〜ない

<div class='writeup-body'>めったに～ない is an expression that may be translated as 'hardly', 'seldom', or 'rarely'. Originally, 滅多（めった） is a <span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='28'>な-Adjective</span> that means 'thoughtless', or 'reckless'. Due to this, as an <span class='info-highlight' data-term='副詞・ふくし'>adverb</span>, 滅多（めった）に literally means 'thoughtlessly' or 'recklessly'.<br><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>めったに～ない</span> will usually be paired with a verb in the negative form, or following a noun, and the <span class='info-highlight' data-term='副助詞・ふくじょし'>adverbial particle</span> は.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>大人（おとな）になっ<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='64'>てから</span>駄菓子屋（だがしや）<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='32'>に</span>は<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>めったに</span>行（い）か<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>ない</span>。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>Ever since I became an adult. I hardly go to candy stores.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>親（おや）<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='955'>と</span>は正月（しょうがつ）<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='390'>以外（いがい）</span><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='32'>に</span>は<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>めったに</span>会（あ）わ<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>ない</span>。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>Other than New Years, I hardly see my parents.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='369'>こんな</span>チャンスは<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>めったにない</span>ぞ！</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>A chance like this is very rare.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>パーティー<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='31'>に行（い）く</span>ことは<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>めったにない</span>。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>I hardly do things like go to parties.</div></li></ul><div class='writeup-caution'><div class='caution-header'>Caution</div>It is far more common to see <span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>めったに</span> written without kanji, than with. However, both are used.</div><div class='writeup-funfact'><div class='funfact-header'>Fun Fact</div>As <span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>めったに</span> originally means 'thoughtlessly', when appearing in a negative statement, the nuance becomes 'to not (A) thoughtlessly' (mindlessly, or aimlessly). This simply expresses that the speaker will not do (A) unintentionally, or (A) will not happen unless there is some special reason for it.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>私（わたし）は何（なに）か大事（おおごと）な<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='98'>こと</span><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='10'>が</span>起（お）き<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='51'>ない</span>限（かぎ）り、電話（でんわ）は<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>めったに</span>掛（か）け<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>ない</span>。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>Unless something big happens, I don't mindlessly make phone calls.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>家（いえ）<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='6'>の</span>誰（だれ）か<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='10'>が</span>テレビ<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='21'>を</span>見（み）てい<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='51'>ない</span>限（かぎ）り、自分（じぶん）<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='52'>から</span>はテレビ<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='21'>を</span><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>めったに</span>見（み）<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='271'>ない</span>。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>Unless someone in my house is watching TV, I don't aimlessly watch TV on my own.</div></li></ul></div></div>

Grammar Info

滅多(めった)に〜ない

hardly, rarely, seldom