B2 Collocation Neutre 3 min de lecture

não raramente disponível

rarely available

Littéralement: not rarely available

Use this phrase to elegantly describe something that is almost always out of reach or out of stock.

En 15 secondes

  • Used for things that are very hard to find or access.
  • Perfect for professional settings or describing exclusive items.
  • Implies that availability is the exception, not the rule.

Signification

This phrase describes something that is rarely available or hard to find. It is used when you want to emphasize that an opportunity or an item is quite exclusive or infrequent.

Exemples clés

3 sur 6
1

Talking about a popular restaurant

Mesa neste restaurante é algo raramente disponível aos fins de semana.

A table at this restaurant is something rarely available on weekends.

🤝
2

Professional email about a specialist

O consultor sênior está raramente disponível para novos projetos.

The senior consultant is rarely available for new projects.

💼
3

Texting about a limited edition item

Aquele tênis edição limitada está raramente disponível online.

Those limited edition sneakers are rarely available online.

😊
🌍

Contexte culturel

In Brazil and Portugal, scarcity often implies high quality or 'gourmet' status. This expression is frequently used in real estate and high-end tourism to create a sense of urgency. It reflects a cultural appreciation for things that require effort or luck to obtain.

💡

The 'Double Negative' Trap

Be careful! In Portuguese, 'não raramente' actually means 'frequently.' If you want to say something is rare, just use 'raramente disponível' without the 'não' unless you specifically mean it's often there.

⚠️

Don't confuse with 'Indisponível'

'Indisponível' means it's not there at all. 'Raramente disponível' means there is a tiny chance, which creates more hope (or frustration)!

En 15 secondes

  • Used for things that are very hard to find or access.
  • Perfect for professional settings or describing exclusive items.
  • Implies that availability is the exception, not the rule.

What It Means

This phrase is a bit of a linguistic trick. In Portuguese, não raramente actually means 'frequently' or 'not seldom.' However, when you use the specific collocation raramente disponível, you are talking about scarcity. You are describing something that is almost never there when you look for it. It is that elusive vintage vinyl or that one friend who never answers their phone. It implies a sense of exclusivity or bad timing. You use it to manage expectations about availability.

How To Use It

You place it after the subject you are describing. It works just like an adjective phrase. You can use it for physical products or people's time. If a table at a famous restaurant is always booked, this is your phrase. If a specific medication is out of stock, use this. It sounds a bit more polished than just saying 'it's hard to find.' It adds a touch of sophistication to your frustration.

When To Use It

Use it when you want to sound precise. It fits perfectly in a professional email explaining a delay. It also works when chatting with friends about a rare sneaker drop. Use it at a travel agency when discussing peak season tickets. It is great for describing that one specific sunny day in a rainy city. It conveys that the 'available' window is very small.

When NOT To Use It

Don't use it for things that are common. If you can buy it at any supermarket, avoid this phrase. It is not for things that are 'sometimes' available. It is for the 'almost never' category. Don't use it in very high-energy slang sessions. It might sound a bit too 'stiff' for a rowdy football match. Avoid it if you are trying to be extremely brief, like a one-word answer.

Cultural Background

Portuguese culture values the 'exclusive' and the 'authentic.' There is a certain prestige in finding things that are raramente disponível. It suggests you have 'insider knowledge' or great taste. In places like Lisbon or Rio, the best hidden gems are often described this way. It taps into the 'saudade' of missing out on something special. It reflects a society that appreciates the hunt for quality over quantity.

Common Variations

You might hear pouco disponível for people who are busy. Dificilmente disponível is a very close cousin. If something is never available, people just say indisponível. In casual speech, people might say quase nunca tem. But raramente disponível remains the gold standard for elegant scarcity. It makes the object of desire seem even more valuable.

Notes d'usage

This is a neutral to formal collocation. It is safe for business emails, news reports, and polite conversation. Avoid adding 'não' before it unless you intend to say the item is actually common.

💡

The 'Double Negative' Trap

Be careful! In Portuguese, 'não raramente' actually means 'frequently.' If you want to say something is rare, just use 'raramente disponível' without the 'não' unless you specifically mean it's often there.

⚠️

Don't confuse with 'Indisponível'

'Indisponível' means it's not there at all. 'Raramente disponível' means there is a tiny chance, which creates more hope (or frustration)!

💬

The 'Jeitinho' Factor

If a Brazilian tells you something is 'raramente disponível,' they might be waiting for you to ask if there's a special way (a 'jeitinho') to get it anyway.

Exemples

6
#1 Talking about a popular restaurant
🤝

Mesa neste restaurante é algo raramente disponível aos fins de semana.

A table at this restaurant is something rarely available on weekends.

Describes a high-demand situation.

#2 Professional email about a specialist
💼

O consultor sênior está raramente disponível para novos projetos.

The senior consultant is rarely available for new projects.

Professional way to say someone is very busy.

#3 Texting about a limited edition item
😊

Aquele tênis edição limitada está raramente disponível online.

Those limited edition sneakers are rarely available online.

Casual observation about a rare product.

#4 Complaining about a busy friend
😄

Você está raramente disponível para um café ultimamente!

You are rarely available for a coffee lately!

A lighthearted nudge to a busy friend.

#5 Discussing a rare vintage wine
👔

Esta safra de 1994 é raramente disponível no mercado atual.

This 1994 vintage is rarely available in the current market.

Formal description of a collector's item.

#6 Expressing sadness over a missed chance
💭

Infelizmente, esse tipo de oportunidade é raramente disponível para nós.

Unfortunately, this kind of opportunity is rarely available to us.

Reflects on a missed or difficult opportunity.

Teste-toi

Choose the best word to complete the sentence about a busy doctor.

O médico especialista está ___ disponível para consultas de emergência.

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : raramente

In the context of a specialist, 'raramente' fits the idea that their time is limited and hard to book.

Complete the phrase to describe a rare product.

Este modelo de carro antigo é raramente ___.

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : disponível

The phrase 'raramente disponível' is the standard collocation for describing something hard to find.

🎉 Score : /2

Aides visuelles

Formality of 'Raramente Disponível'

Informal

Using 'quase nunca tem' with friends.

Quase nunca tem vaga aqui.

Neutral

Standard use in shops or offices.

O produto está raramente disponível.

Formal

Official reports or luxury catalogs.

Tal recurso encontra-se raramente disponível.

Where to use 'Raramente Disponível'

Scarcity
🏠

Real Estate

Apartamentos neste prédio são raramente disponíveis.

🎧

Customer Service

O suporte técnico está raramente disponível à noite.

🪙

Collectibles

Moedas raras são raramente disponíveis em leilões.

📅

Social Life

Ele está raramente disponível para festas.

Questions fréquentes

10 questions

No, it just means it's very difficult. It implies that the item or person exists, but the timing for access is usually wrong.

Yes, absolutely. You can say Ela está raramente disponível to mean she is very busy and hard to reach.

Yes, it is used in both countries, though Brazilians might use difícil de achar more often in very casual talk.

The opposite would be sempre disponível (always available) or facilmente encontrado (easily found).

Yes, it sounds professional. You might say a certain skill is raramente disponível in the current market.

Yes! Não raramente means 'often.' So não raramente disponível would technically mean 'frequently available,' which is the opposite of what you likely want to say.

Yes, especially for seasonal fruits or rare ingredients like trufas (truffles).

Yes, raramente disponível sounds a bit more like a formal status or a technical description.

It sounds like 'dees-po-NEE-vel.' The 'L' at the end is soft, almost like a 'U' in Brazilian Portuguese.

Yes, if a download link is often broken or a file is rare, you can use it there too.

Expressions liées

difícil de encontrar

hard to find

em falta

out of stock / missing

artigo de luxo

luxury item (often implies scarcity)

esgotado

sold out

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