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guère

hardly, scarcely

adverb GAIR Less Common

Usage Note

Guère is a literary/formal negative adverb used with ne to mean 'hardly, scarcely, not much': je ne dors guère ('I hardly sleep'). It is rarely heard in everyday speech, where pas beaucoup or presque pas are preferred. The construction mirrors ne…pas but carries a more cultivated register.

Examples

"Il ne parle guère de ses problèmes."

Natural Translation

He hardly talks about his problems.

Literal Translation

He does not-speak scarcely of his problems.

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