au moins
/o mwɛ̃/
The English phrase "at least" can be translated into French as au moins or au minimum.
Meaning: at a lower limit (prep_phrase)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| au moins | /o mwɛ̃/ |
| au minimum | /o mi.ni.mɔm/ |
Both forms are used to express a lower limit or a minimum quantity. Au moins is the standard way to express a minimum amount or to make a concession.
Which one should you use?
Au moins is the standard expression for a minimum quantity or a concession. In contrast, au minimum is used to emphasize a strict numerical or technical threshold, often translating more precisely to "at the minimum".
How do you pronounce it?
/o mwɛ̃/
Did you know?
- While au moins is the standard phrase, using au minimum in a social context rather than a technical one can sound overly rigid or robotic to a native speaker.
- The phrase au moins is remarkably stable across the Romance language family, appearing in nearly identical forms in Spanish as al menos and in Italian as almeno.
- The word moins in au moins shares the same Latin ancestor, minus, as the English word 'minus'.
Examples in context
- Au moins deux !At least two!This sentence shows how to use au moins to specify a quantity of two.Tatoeba #13676361 by Orange, translation #13676362 by Orange
- Au moins trois !At least three!This sentence shows how to use au moins to specify a quantity of three.Tatoeba #13676365 by Orange, translation #13676366 by Orange
- Au moins quatre !At least four!This sentence shows how to use au moins to specify a quantity of four.Tatoeba #13676354 by Orange, translation #13676356 by Orange
- Il faut au moins cinq ans d'expérience pour ce poste.At least five years of experience are required for this position.
- Le projet sera terminé d'ici demain, du moins nous l'espérons.The project will be completed by tomorrow, or at least we hope so.
- Tu as essayé de résoudre le problème. Au moins , ça montre ton dévouement.You tried to solve the issue. At least, it shows your dedication.
- Au moins une fois par semaineAt least once a week
- Cela ne coûte pas cher, du moins relativement.It doesn't cost much, at least relatively.
- 312 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are discussing how many people to invite to a dinner.
- LéaCombien de personnes viennent ce soir ?How many people are coming tonight?
- HugoIl y aura au moins six invités.There will be at least six guests.
- LéaC'est beaucoup pour ma petite table.That is a lot for my small table.
- HugoOn peut utiliser la table du salon.We can use the living room table.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “at least” translations and entries au moins, au minimum, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries au moins, moins, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
