Au moins
Example: Il faut étudier au moins une heure chaque jour.
Definition
"Au moins" is an adverbial phrase used to indicate a minimum quantity or extent, meaning 'at least.' It expresses that something should be done or is true to the smallest acceptable degree, as in 'Il faut étudier au moins une heure chaque jour,' meaning 'You must study at least one hour each day.'
Etymology
The phrase "au moins" comes from French, where "au" is a contraction of "à le" meaning 'at the,' and "moins" means 'less.' Together, they literally translate to 'at less,' which evolved to convey the idea of 'at least' or a minimum amount. Did you know that while it might seem counterintuitive, "moins" in this context emphasizes a lower bound rather than a reduction?
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"Au moins" appears in the Vocaplus list "French - General - (A2) - set 4", containing 115 commonly used words.
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