rara vez
Lemma Details
Translation: rarely; seldom; hardly ever
Part of Speech: adverbial phrase
Etymology: Comes from the combination of 'rara' (feminine form of 'raro', meaning 'rare' or 'unusual', from Latin 'rarus') and 'vez' (meaning 'time' or 'occasion', from Latin 'vicis'). The phrase literally translates to 'rare time' or 'unusual occasion', conveying the sense that something happens infrequently.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 60%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'rare' in English, which sounds like 'rara', to remember it means something happens rarely.
- Visualize a 'rare occasion' (vez = occasion) to remember the meaning.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
This is a standard expression used in both formal and informal contexts to express infrequency. It's commonly used in both spoken and written Spanish across all Spanish-speaking countries.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'rara vez' means 'rarely' or 'seldom', 'a veces' means 'sometimes' or 'occasionally', indicating a higher frequency than 'rara vez'.
Confused word:
A veces como carne roja.
Sometimes I eat red meat.
Notes: 'Rara vez' suggests something happens very infrequently, while 'a veces' suggests something happens with some regularity, though not consistently.
Mnemonic: Think of 'rara' as 'rare' (infrequent) versus 'a veces' as 'at times' (more frequent).
Explanation: 'Rara vez' implies something happens very infrequently, while 'de vez en cuando' means 'from time to time' or 'occasionally', suggesting a slightly higher frequency.
Notes: On a frequency scale, 'rara vez' would be closer to 'never', while 'de vez en cuando' would be somewhere between 'rarely' and 'sometimes'.
Mnemonic: 'Rara' connects to 'rare' (very infrequent), while 'de vez en cuando' literally means 'from time to time' (occasional).