Japanese word

少なくとも

Pronunciation

Romajisukunakutomo

Meaning

  • adverbat least

Example

少なくとも三人来ます。suku na ku to mo san nin ki ma su

At least three people will come.

Illustration for 少なくとも (at least)

More examples

毎日少なくとも三十分歩きます。mai nichi suku na ku to mo san jip pun aru ki ma su

I walk for at least thirty minutes every day.

Core concept

Treats a stated amount or level as the minimum, leaving room for more.

Common phrases

  • 少なくとも二回suku na ku to mo ni kai

    at least twice

  • 少なくとも十円suku na ku to mo jū en

    at least ten yen

  • 少なくとも二時間suku na ku to mo ni ji kan

    at least two hours

  • 少なくとも五人suku na ku to mo go nin

    at least five people

Similar words

せめてsemete: Marks a minimum amount or degree that is wished for or considered sufficient.

Definition in Japanese

ある数量や程度が、基準として示された値を下回らないことを表す。a ru sū ryō ya tei do ga ki jun to shi te shime sa re ta atai o shita mawa ra na i ko to o arawa su

Word origin

The native expression 少なくとも (sukunakutomo) combines 少なく (sukunaku), from 少ない (sukunai, "few"), with とも (tomo, "even"), giving the sense of a minimum.

Usage tips

  • In simple conversations, 少なくとも (sukunaku tomo) often appears before a number or amount, while the actual total may be larger.

Opposites

Word lists with this word