adverb
hardly
B1
Kaum is an adverb meaning 'hardly' or 'scarcely'. It expresses very small degree, little time or low probability (e.g., kaum zu glauben, kaum noch). It doesn't require a preposition. Position is flexible, often before verbs or adjectives. It is not inflected; used to weaken statements or negate strongly.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.EXAMPLES
Der Zug fuhr kaum, als die Strecke wegen des Sturms gesperrt wurde.
The train barely moved when the line was closed because of the storm.
Ich habe gestern kaum geschlafen.
I hardly slept yesterday.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.DETAILS_LABEL
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.MNEMONICS
Imagine a tiny crumb (kaum = almost nothing) on a big plate.
Sounds a bit like 'come' — but with a smaller amount: 'hardly come'.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.NOTES
Kaum is an adverb of degree meaning 'hardly', 'scarcely' or 'barely'. It often appears with perfect or past tenses to indicate a very small amount.