If you want to sound polished and clear, follow this one rule:
"I can hardly see." (Meaning: I almost cannot see.)
If you find yourself reaching for "can't hardly," try these standard alternatives instead: Incorrect (Non-standard) Correct (Standard) I breathe. I can hardly breathe. It is very difficult to breathe. He couldn’t hardly walk. He could hardly walk. Walking was nearly impossible for him. We can’t hardly wait! We can hardly wait! We are extremely excited. Other Tricky "Hardly" Pairs is it can hardly or cant hardly free
To understand why one is right and the other is wrong, we have to look at the word .
"I can’t hardly see." (Meaning: I cannot almost cannot see.) If you want to sound polished and clear,
The word "hardly" does all the heavy lifting for you. By pairing it with the positive "can," you convey that an action is nearly impossible—which is exactly what you’re trying to say.
The short answer is: If you are looking to be grammatically correct, both "can hardly" and "can’t hardly" are considered errors when used to mean "barely able to." The standard, correct phrase is simply "can hardly." He couldn’t hardly walk
While "can't hardly" is common in various regional dialects and informal speech (particularly in parts of the Southern United States or in song lyrics), it is strictly prohibited in: Academic writing Professional emails Formal journalism Standardized testing (SAT/ACT/GRE)