Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 最低 | saitei | [sa̠ite̞ː] (narrow) |
| 最小 | saishō | [sa̠iɕo̞ː] (narrow) |
The word 'minimum' is translated differently depending on whether you are discussing a standard or a quantity. Use 最低 to refer to the lowest level of a standard, such as a minimum wage or a minimum requirement. In casual speech, 最低 is also used colloquially as an adjective to mean 'the worst' or 'terrible' when describing a person or a situation. Use 最小 when referring to the smallest amount, size or mathematical value.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 最小 is composed of 最 (most) and 小 (small), meaning 'smallest'. The word 最低 is composed of 最 (most) and 低 (low), meaning 'lowest'.
Which one should you use?
最小 (saishō) is used for mathematical or physical contexts to denote the smallest quantity or size. In contrast, 最低 (saitei) is used for social or qualitative contexts to denote the lowest level of a standard.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
saitei
Did you know?
- While 最低 means 'lowest', calling a person 最低 (saitei) is a common way to say they are 'scum' or have the lowest possible moral character.
- The character 最 used in both 最小 and 最低 is also the root of the word 最後 (saigo), meaning 'the last' or 'the end'.
- Because 最低 (saitei) can mean 'the worst', using it to talk about 'minimum requirements' in a social setting might sound accidentally aggressive to an untrained ear.
Examples in context
- ここに最低賃金はない。There's no minimum wage here.This sentence is useful for demonstrating the use of 最低 in the context of minimum wage.Tatoeba #5076119 by wat, translation #1542369 by Spamster
- 被害は最小限に食い止められた。The damage was held to a minimum.This sentence shows how to use 最小 to describe holding damage to a minimum.Tatoeba #85835 by tommy__san, translation #317877 by CM
- 次の関数の最大値と最小値を求めよ。Find this function's global maximum and global minimum.This sentence illustrates the use of 最小 when finding a mathematical minimum.Tatoeba #2665743 by tommy_san, translation #2673920 by WestofEden
- このプロジェクトの参加者には、最小限の経験が必要です。Participants in this project must have a minimum level of experience.
- 彼が仕事中に最低限の努力しかしないのは知っている。I know he puts in only the minimum effort while working.
- ゲームをする前に、最小限のルールを説明しておこう。Let's explain the minimum rules before playing the game.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are discussing the requirements for a project.
- 蓮 Ren最低、何ページ書けばいい？Saitei, nan pēji kakeba ii?What is the minimum number of pages I should write?
- 陽葵 Himari最低でも三ページは必要だよ。Saite demo san pēji wa hitsuyō dayo.You need at least three pages minimum.
- 蓮 Renわかった。最低限の内容でまとめるよ。Wakatta. Saiteigen no naiyō de matomeru yo.I got it. I'll keep the content to a minimum.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮、ちゃんと丁寧に書いてね。Ren, chanto teinei ni kaite ne.Ren, please make sure to write it carefully.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “minimum” translations and entries 最低, 最小, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
