Al menos
Example: Necesito al menos cinco minutos para terminar la tarea.
Definition
"Al menos" is a Spanish adverbial phrase used to indicate a minimum quantity, amount, or degree, often meaning 'at least' in English. It expresses the idea that something is not less than a specified number or limit, as in needing 'al menos' five minutes to finish a task.
Etymology
The phrase "al menos" comes from the combination of the Spanish preposition 'a' (to) and the adjective 'menos' (less). Together, they form an expression meaning 'to less' or 'at least.' Its usage evolved to indicate a minimum threshold, similar to the English 'at least.' Did you know? While 'menos' originally means 'less,' when paired with 'a,' it changes to express a minimum requirement.
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"Al menos" appears in the Vocaplus list "Spanish - General - (A2) - set 4", containing 115 commonly used words.
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