rarely

/ˈrerli/

B1adverb

Not often; used to describe something that happens on very few occasions.

Concreteness 1.6/5 · Abstract

Tiếng Việt

hiếm khi

RE-li

Phát âm giống âm 'RE' trong từ 'rẻ' nhưng kéo dài hơn một chút, kết thúc bằng âm 'li' nhẹ.

Không thường xuyên; dùng để mô tả việc gì đó xảy ra trong rất ít trường hợp.

Meanings

3 meanings

1Not very often; on very few occasions.general
Không thường xuyên; rất ít khi xảy ra.
“She is rarely seen in public nowadays.”
“Cô ấy hiếm khi xuất hiện trước công chúng dạo gần đây.”
- He rarely spoke.
- It is a slowly developing disease, rarely fatal.
- She very rarely made a mistake.
- That's something I very rarely do.
Đây là nghĩa phổ biến nhất. Lưu ý không dùng 'rarely' với câu phủ định (ví dụ: 'I don't rarely see him' là sai) vì bản thân nó đã mang nghĩa phủ định.
2Unusually well; excellently.literary
Cực kỳ tốt; xuất sắc; hiếm thấy.
“The task was rarely performed.”
“Nhiệm vụ đã được thực hiện một cách xuất sắc hiếm thấy.”
- The house was rarely furnished.
- He was a rarely gifted musician.
Nghĩa này mang tính văn chương và khá cổ, ít dùng trong giao tiếp hiện đại. Người học nên tập trung vào nghĩa chỉ tần suất trước.
3To a rare or unusual degree; very.literary
Ở một mức độ hiếm có hoặc bất thường; rất.
“She was a rarely beautiful woman.”
“Bà ấy là một người phụ nữ đẹp hiếm thấy.”
- The weather was rarely fine for that time of year.
- A rarely talented individual.
Dùng để nhấn mạnh một phẩm chất nào đó vượt xa mức bình thường. Thường đi kèm với các tính từ tích cực.

Word bank

Synonyms

Near synonyms

Antonyms

Common phrases

rarely fatal
rarely used
rarely seen
rarely appear
rarely happen

Grammar & forms

Word family

rareadjective
raritynoun

Usage patterns

rarely do something
very rarely
rarely if ever

Avoid mistakes

Common mistakes

He rare goes to the gym.
He rarely goes to the gym.
You must use the adverb 'rarely' to modify the verb 'goes', not the adjective 'rare'.
I don't rarely see him.
I rarely see him.
Avoid double negatives; 'rarely' already has a negative meaning.
Rarely I have seen such beauty.
Rarely have I seen such beauty.
When 'rarely' starts a sentence for emphasis, the subject and auxiliary verb must be inverted.
She speaks English very rare.
She speaks English very rarely.
Adverbs like 'rarely' are needed to describe how someone performs an action.
The events happen more rare now.
The events happen more rarely now.
The comparative form of the adverb 'rarely' is 'more rarely'.

Don't confuse with

rare
existing only in small numbers; not common
“This is a rare species of bird.”
Use 'rare' as an adjective to describe things, and 'rarely' as an adverb to describe how often actions happen.

Academic collocations

Words that pair with "rarely" in formal and academic writing

verb: occurmentionobserveencounter

In context

Real-world examples

daily life
In Vietnam, it rarely snows, even in the high mountains of Sapa.
Ở Việt Nam, trời hiếm khi có tuyết, ngay cả ở vùng núi cao Sa Pa.
Vietnam is a tropical country, so snow is an extremely rare and exciting event for locals.
business
Our CEO rarely cancels the weekly meeting unless there is an emergency.
Giám đốc điều hành của chúng tôi hiếm khi hủy cuộc họp hàng tuần trừ khi có việc khẩn cấp.
Professional etiquette in Vietnamese corporate culture emphasizes consistency in leadership presence.
academic
Scientific studies rarely provide a definitive answer with just one experiment.
Các nghiên cứu khoa học hiếm khi đưa ra câu trả lời dứt khoát chỉ với một thí nghiệm duy nhất.
Academic rigor and the iterative nature of research are cross-cultural concepts valued in VN education.
daily life
Older generations in Vietnam rarely eat out, preferring home-cooked meals.
Thế hệ người lớn tuổi ở Việt Nam hiếm khi đi ăn ngoài, họ thích những bữa cơm gia đình nấu hơn.
Home-cooked meals are a cornerstone of Vietnamese family values and health perspectives.

Notes for Vietnamese speakers

In Vietnamese, 'hiếm khi' is the most direct equivalent, but speakers also use 'ít khi' (less often) interchangeably in casual speech.
When emphasizing rarity in a polite way, Vietnamese people might use 'hầu như không bao giờ' (almost never) to be more specific.
Culturally, stating that something happens 'rarely' can sometimes be a subtle way of expressing disapproval or a polite 'no' in indirect communication.

Etymology

Late 14th century: from 'rare' (adjective) + '-ly'. Originally used in the sense of 'finely' or 'beautifully'. Its use as a frequency marker meaning 'seldom' emerged in the late 16th century. Source: Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.

Exam levels

CEFR

TOEIC

505-600