German word

kaum

Pronunciation

IPA/kaʊ̯m/

Meaning

  • adverbhardly

Example

Ich habe heute kaum Zeit.

I have hardly any time today.

Illustration for kaum (hardly)

More examples

Wir haben kaum etwas zu essen.

We have hardly anything to eat.

Core concept

A nearly empty space with only a trace left in it.

Common phrases

  • kaum Zeit haben

    hardly have any time

  • kaum etwas

    hardly anything

  • kaum zu glauben

    hardly believable

Similar words

fast: Indicates that something is almost at a particular point or in a particular state.
knapp: Indicates a narrow margin between having enough and not having enough.
beinahe: Indicates that something came close to happening.
selten: Indicates that something happens only on rare occasions.

Definition in German

Anzeigt, dass etwas fast nicht vorhanden ist oder nur in sehr geringem Maße zutrifft.

Word origin

Kaum is an inherited Germanic adverb from Old High German chūmo and Middle High German kûme, originally meaning 'with difficulty' or 'scarcely'.

Usage tips

  • When kaum begins a clause, the finite verb follows it directly, as in 'Kaum hatte ich Zeit' for 'I hardly had any time'.

Other meanings

  • rarelyadverb
  • barelyadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word