How often · Time and plans
hardly ever
almost never
If something hardly ever happens, it happens very rarely.
This vs that
I hardly ever drink coffee.
I occasionally have tea with friends.
Hear it in real life
Do you eat out during the week?
Hardly ever. I usually cook at home.
I hardly ever take taxis because the buses near my flat are reliable.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
The fixed phrase is the normal conversational way to say 'almost never'.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: I don't hardly ever eat breakfast.
Say: I hardly ever eat breakfast.
Do not use another negative with 'hardly ever'.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
hardly ever + verb
I hardly ever eat breakfast during the week.
He hardly ever complains about the weather.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about how often.
every now and then
I still call my old neighbours every now and then.
once in a while
I have a takeaway once in a while.
How often words
Time and plans · How often: the words around “hardly ever”.
More connectionsMore how often words7
Your turn: say it out loud
I hardly ever drink coffee.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
hardly ever
almost never
“I hardly ever take taxis because the buses near my flat are reliable.”
heytardy