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kaum

hardly

adverb KOWM Common
Descriptions & Qualities Degree

Also means

scarcely

Usage Note

kaum means 'hardly' or 'barely' and already carries a negative sense, so you don't add nicht. With dass it forms kaum dass …, 'no sooner had …', and kaum zu glauben means 'hard to believe'.

Examples

"Ich kann ihn kaum verstehen."

Natural Translation

I can hardly understand him.

Literal Translation

I can him hardly understand.

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