Difference between revisions of "Hardly"
(→The meaning of "hardly") |
(→The meaning of "hardly") |
||
| (7 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
2. Personne ne lui a rien dit<br /> | 2. Personne ne lui a rien dit<br /> | ||
| − | <span style="color:white;">Nobody said anything to him. OR Nobody told him anything.</span> | + | <span style="color:white;">Nobody said anything to him/her. OR Nobody told him/her anything.</span> |
3. T'inquiète. Personne n'a rien dit à personne!<br /> | 3. T'inquiète. Personne n'a rien dit à personne!<br /> | ||
| Line 13: | Line 13: | ||
4. Il n'y avait rien nulle part.<br /> | 4. Il n'y avait rien nulle part.<br /> | ||
| − | <span style="color:white;">There was nothing anywhere. OR There | + | <span style="color:white;">There was nothing anywhere. OR There was<u>n't</u> anything anywhere.</span> |
| Line 22: | Line 22: | ||
<span style="color:#005;">Are you '''''working hard''''' or '''''hardly working'''''?</span> | <span style="color:#005;">Are you '''''working hard''''' or '''''hardly working'''''?</span> | ||
| − | :Here, <span style="color:#005;">working hard</span> means (as you would expect) ''travailler dur''. <span style="color:#005;">Hardly working</span> on the other hand means ''travailler à peine''. "Hardly" doesn't have anything to do with "hard" (historically it was used in conjunction with "not" in the same way that French ''guère'' is/was used with a pleonastic ''ne''.) | + | :Here, <span style="font-weight:bold;color:#005;">working hard</span> means (as you would expect) ''travailler dur''. <span style="font-weight:bold;color:#005;">Hardly working</span> on the other hand means ''travailler à peine''. "Hardly" doesn't have anything to do with "hard" (historically it was used in conjunction with "not" in the same way that French ''guère'' is/was used with a pleonastic ''ne''.) |
| − | + | Knowing this, how would you translate the following? | |
| + | :<span style="font-size:75%;color:#888;">(Again, check your answer by selecting the space under the question.)</span> | ||
1. Hardly anyone came to my party. :/ <br /> | 1. Hardly anyone came to my party. :/ <br /> | ||
| Line 33: | Line 34: | ||
3. There was hardly anywhere to park.<br /> | 3. There was hardly anywhere to park.<br /> | ||
| − | <span style="color:#FFF;">Il n'y avait nulle part (pour / où) se garer.</span> | + | <span style="color:#FFF;">Il n'y avait presque nulle part (pour / où) se garer.</span> |
4. There was hardly any room left in the box.<br /> | 4. There was hardly any room left in the box.<br /> | ||
<span style="color:#FFF;">Il n'y avait presque plus de place dans le carton.</span> | <span style="color:#FFF;">Il n'y avait presque plus de place dans le carton.</span> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Exercise== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Write (or think of) two sentences containing: | ||
| + | |||
| + | *hardly anyone | ||
| + | *hardly anything | ||
| + | *hardly anywhere | ||
| + | *hardly any N (N = noun) | ||
| + | |||
| + | Compare to: | ||
| + | *nearly everyone | ||
| + | *just about everything | ||
| + | *almost everywhere | ||
Latest revision as of 10:57, 25 March 2020
Negation
How do you say the following in English? (Select the space underneath each number to check your answer.)
1. Personne n'a rien vu.
Nobody saw anything.
2. Personne ne lui a rien dit
Nobody said anything to him/her. OR Nobody told him/her anything.
3. T'inquiète. Personne n'a rien dit à personne!
Not to worry. Nobody told anyone anything.
4. Il n'y avait rien nulle part.
There was nothing anywhere. OR There wasn't anything anywhere.
As you notice above, each sentence contains only one negation (no- / not), after which any- is used.
The meaning of "hardly"
Are you working hard or hardly working?
- Here, working hard means (as you would expect) travailler dur. Hardly working on the other hand means travailler à peine. "Hardly" doesn't have anything to do with "hard" (historically it was used in conjunction with "not" in the same way that French guère is/was used with a pleonastic ne.)
Knowing this, how would you translate the following?
- (Again, check your answer by selecting the space under the question.)
1. Hardly anyone came to my party. :/
Presque personne n'est venu à ma fête.
2. Hardly anything is ready.
Presque rien n'est prêt.
3. There was hardly anywhere to park.
Il n'y avait presque nulle part (pour / où) se garer.
4. There was hardly any room left in the box.
Il n'y avait presque plus de place dans le carton.
Exercise
Write (or think of) two sentences containing:
- hardly anyone
- hardly anything
- hardly anywhere
- hardly any N (N = noun)
Compare to:
- nearly everyone
- just about everything
- almost everywhere
