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Decoded Slug: ~めったにない (〜metta ni nai)

Japanese JLPT Grammar Point
~めったにない (〜metta ni nai)

~めったにない (〜metta ni nai)

Short explanation:

Expresses the rarity of an action, event or state; 'hardly', 'rarely', 'seldom'.

Formation:

Verb-negative + めったにない, い-Adjective-negative + めったにない, な-Adjective-negative + めったにない, Noun-negative + めったにない

Examples:

この町では雪が降ることはめったにない。
Kono machi de wa yuki ga furu koto wa metta ni nai.
It hardly ever snows in this town.
彼はめったに外食しない。
Kare wa metta ni gaishoku shinai.
He rarely eats out.
友達が遊びに来るのはめったにない。
Tomodachi ga asobi ni kuru no wa metta ni nai.
Friends seldom come to visit.
彼女はめったに怒らない。
Kanojo wa metta ni okoranai.
She hardly ever gets angry.

Long explanation:

The ~めったにない grammar point is used to express that an action, event or state rarely, hardly, or seldom happens. It is usually combined with a negative verb form. Though it can be used with positive verbs, it is uncommon and sounds unnatural.
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