mindestens
at least
Indicates a lower limit; not less than a certain number, amount, or measure.
EXAMPLE
Für diesen Job müssen Sie mindestens 25 Jahre alt sein.
For this job, you must be at least 25 years old.
mindestens
at least
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Meanings
mindestens
at least
Expresses a minimal expectation or a limitation; at least.
EXAMPLE
Wenn du schon zu spät kommst, hättest du mindestens anrufen können.
If you were going to be late, you could at least have called.
Usage tips
Word structure
'Mindestens' (at least) is a superlative form derived from 'minder' (less). The ending '-stens' is used to form superlative adverbs and here expresses a lowest limit.
EXAMPLE
Die Reparatur wird mindestens eine Woche dauern.
The repair will take at least a week.
Sentence position
'Mindestens' (at least) often stands directly before the information it describes. However, it can also stand in position 1, in which case the verb follows directly after it (inversion).
EXAMPLE
Du solltest mindestens acht Stunden pro Nacht schlafen.
You should sleep at least eight hours per night.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'nicht weniger als' (not less than), 'mindestens' (at least) is almost always combined with numbers, amounts, or time expressions. Typical phrases are 'mindestens einmal' (at least once), 'mindestens drei Tage' (at least three days), or 'mindestens 10 Euro' (at least 10 euros).
EXAMPLE
Man muss mindestens 18 Jahre alt sein, um wählen zu dürfen.
You have to be at least 18 years old to be allowed to vote.
Context clue
The meaning 'zumindest' (at least) is often recognized from the context of an expectation or reproach. The subjunctive II is frequently used here to describe an alternative, better action.
EXAMPLE
Du hättest mindestens eine Nachricht schreiben können, um Bescheid zu geben.
You could at least have written a message to let me know.
Compare with
mindestens vs zumindest
at least
Mindestens usually sets a countable or measurable lower limit, for example for points, time, or money. Zumindest is more likely to name the part of a statement that is certainly true or to highlight a still-positive result. With an exact number, mindestens is therefore usually the better choice.
mindestens
Zum Bestehen der Prüfung braucht man mindestens fünfzig Punkte.
You need at least fifty points to pass the exam.
zumindest
Die Prüfung war schwer, aber zumindest habe ich sie bestanden.
The exam was difficult, but at least I passed it.
In real life
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