hardly understand anything vs understand hardly anything

Both phrases are correct and commonly used in English. They have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably. The adverb 'hardly' can be placed before or after the verb 'understand' without changing the overall meaning of the sentence.

Last updated: March 25, 2024 • 2639 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"hardly understand anything"

This phrase means that the speaker has a very limited understanding of something. 'Hardly' is an adverb that emphasizes the lack of understanding.

Examples:

I can hardly understand anything in this complicated manual.
She could hardly understand anything the professor was saying.

Show examples from the web [+]

- You can hardly understand anything.
But I'm an extraterrestrial, who hardly understands anything.
I never cared about material things but you can hardly understand that.
I can hardly understand what you say.
I can hardly understand what she says.
How can we replicate something we hardly understand in ourselves?
The Old Jack tales that he had learned - he talked like this, you could hardly understand him. But it was really wonderful.
...that I could hardly understand, lost, as I was, in my own thoughts.
My accent in the game was so thick, I could hardly understand myself.
When Mother spoke to me in her hurried way... I could hardly understand what she wanted of me.
Grandma got very caught up in those stories that I could hardly understand, lost, as i was, in my own thoughts.
Jack... your he called me... to help you... he was so drunk, I could hardly understand him.
Jack... your father... when he called me... to help you... he was so drunk, I could hardly understand him.
In many cases, the inhabitants dislike the fact that they are being cut off from their same-language neighbours and wonder why they are still part of a state which unites them with another area of which they can hardly understand the language, if at all.
Nobody here understands anything but money.
I don't understand anything he says.
I actually don't understand anything right now.
You don't understand anything... love.
You really don't understand anything about women.
- He said you might not understand anything too complicated.

Alternatives:

understand hardly anything
barely understand anything
hardly comprehend anything
understand almost nothing
struggle to understand anything

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"understand hardly anything"

This phrase also means that the speaker has a very limited understanding of something. 'Hardly' is an adverb that emphasizes the lack of understanding.

Examples:

I understand hardly anything about quantum physics.
He understands hardly anything in the new software program.

Show examples from the web [+]

- You can hardly understand anything.
But I'm an extraterrestrial, who hardly understands anything.
Hardly anything's been written about it.
I hate that there's hardly anything green.
What? Hardly anything left of the place, except a strongbox.
And on camera or in interviews, she said hardly anything.
We came here with hardly anything, and 2,000 years later...
There's hardly anything on your plate.
Well, we'd be happy with hardly anything.
That's hardly anything worth shooting somebody over.
You said hardly anything was taken in the robbery.
There was hardly anything available, it seemed like a good opportunity.
And he said, Hardly anything.
But I've seen hardly anything.
I knew hardly anything about the machine.
There's hardly anything in it.
Well, hardly anything at all.
There's hardly anything left for susan and madeleine to bury.
There's hardly anything in here.
Hardly anything left of the place, except a strongbox.

Alternatives:

hardly understand anything
barely understand anything
hardly comprehend anything
understand almost nothing
struggle to understand anything

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hardly understand anything vs understand hardly anything