Mindestens
Example: Du solltest mindestens acht Stunden pro Nacht schlafen.
Definition
"Mindestens" is an adverb used to indicate the minimum amount or degree required or expected. It means 'at least' and emphasizes the lowest limit in a quantity, number, or extent, as in the example phrase: 'You should sleep at least eight hours per night.'
Etymology
The word "mindestens" comes from the German root "mind-" related to 'mind' or 'least,' combined with the suffix "-estens," which forms superlative adverbs. It originally conveyed the idea of 'at the smallest measure.' Did you know? The concept of minimums has been important in Germanic languages for centuries to express limits clearly.
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"Mindestens" appears in the Vocaplus list "German - General - (B2) - set 4", containing 112 commonly used words.
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