Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
At least / Minimum of
🎯 Primary Function
To indicate a lower limit or a minimum expectation regarding a quantity or amount.
📋 Grammar Structure
[Quantity/Number + Counter] + は + [Verb/Adjective]
Not applicable (This pattern specifically follows quantity nouns).
Not applicable (This pattern specifically follows quantity nouns).
Quantity + は + Negative Verb (implies ‘not even’ the minimum amount).
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in business reports, project estimations, and formal requirements (e.g., minimum budget, minimum staff).
Informal Situations
Commonly used in daily conversations when discussing time, money, or effort needed for tasks.
Written Language
Used in instructional manuals, news reports, and academic writing to define minimum parameters.
Spoken Language
Highly frequent in natural speech to emphasize a minimum threshold.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing Minimum Requirements
Used to state the lowest threshold required to achieve a certain result.
Example: この奨学金をもらうには、成績が３．５は必要です。 (To get this scholarship, a GPA of at least 3.5 is necessary.)
Estimating Potential Results
Used when making a conservative estimate about a future event.
Example: 明日のイベントには、１００人は集まるだろう。 (At least 100 people will likely gather for tomorrow’s event.)
Personal Goals or Habits
Used to set a personal floor for daily activities or habits.
Example: 毎日、３０分は歩くようにしている。 (I try to walk for at least 30 minutes every day.)
Frequency
High
Difficulty
JLPT N3
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
大学を卒業するのに、４年はかかります。
Furigana: だい学(がく)をそつぎょうするのに、４年(ねん)はかかります。
Romaji: Daigaku o sotsugyou suru no ni, yonen wa kakarimasu.
English: It takes at least four years to graduate from university.
Example #2
このパーティーには、５０人は来るでしょう。
Furigana: このパーティーには、５０人(にん)は来(く)るでしょう。
Romaji: Kono paatii ni wa, gojuunin wa kuru deshou.
English: At least 50 people will probably come to this party.
Example #3
新しい車を買うには、２００万円は必要だ。
Furigana: 新(あたら)しい車(くるま)をか（買）うには、２００万(まん)えん（円）はひつよう（必要）だ。
Romaji: Atarashii kuruma o kau ni wa, nijuuman-en wa hitsuyou da.
English: To buy a new car, you need at least 2 million yen.
Example #4
毎日、１時間は日本語を勉強するようにしています。
Furigana: まい日(にち)、１じかん（時間）はにほんご（日本語）をべんきょう（勉強）するようにしています。
Romaji: Mainichi, ichijikan wa nihongo o benkyou suru you ni shiteimasu.
English: I try to study Japanese for at least one hour every day.
Example #5
この仕事、明日までに終わらせるには３人は人手がいります。
Furigana: このしごと（仕事）、あした（明日）までに終わらせるには３人(にん)はひとで（人手）がいります。
Romaji: Kono shigoto, ashita made ni owaraseru ni wa sannin wa hitode ga irimasu.
English: To finish this job by tomorrow, we need at least three people.
Example #6
健康のために、一日に２リットルは水を飲んだほうがいいです。
Furigana: けんこう（健康）のために、一日(いちにち)に２リットルはみず（水）をの（飲）んだほうがいいです。
Romaji: Kenkou no tame ni, ichinichi ni ni-rittoru wa mizu o nonda hou ga ii desu.
English: For your health, it is better to drink at least 2 liters of water a day.
Example #7
この本を全部読むのに、一週間はかかる。
Furigana: このほん（本）をぜんぶ（全部）よ（読）むのに、一週間(いっしゅうかん)はかかる。
Romaji: Kono hon o zenbu yomu no ni, isshuukan wa kakaru.
English: It will take at least a week to read this whole book.
Example #8
日本で生活するには、一ヶ月に１５万円はかかる。
Furigana: 日本(にほん)でせいかつ（生活）するには、一ヶ月(いっかげつ)に１５万(まん)えん（円）はかかる。
Romaji: Nihon de seikatsu suru ni wa, ikkagetsu ni juugoman-en wa kakaru.
English: To live in Japan, it costs at least 150,000 yen a month.
Example #9
合格するためには、８割は正解しなければならない。
Furigana: ごうかく（合格）するためには、８わり（割）はせいかい（正解）しなければならない。
Romaji: Goukaku suru tame ni wa, hachiwari wa seikai shinakereba naranai.
English: To pass the exam, you must get at least 80% of the questions correct.
Example #10
冬の北海道は、マイナス１０度はいくでしょう。
Furigana: ふゆ（冬）のほっかいどう（北海道）は、マイナス１０ど（度）はい（行）くでしょう。
Romaji: Fuyu no Hokkaido wa, mainasu juudo wa iku deshou.
English: In winter in Hokkaido, the temperature will probably go down to at least minus 10 degrees.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
The ‘Floor’ Concept
The first sentence is a simple statement of time. The second sentence implies that one hour is the minimum time required; it might take longer.
Example: １時間で終わります。 vs １時間はかかります。
Contrastive Nuance
In this context, ‘wa’ implies ‘at least 1000 yen’ (and possibly more), but also might imply ‘I have 1000 yen, but I don’t have a lot.’
Example: １０００円は持っています。
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ １０人は来ました。 (intended to mean ‘as many as 10 people’)
✅ １０人も来ました。 (As many as 10 people came.)
Using ‘wa’ (は) indicates a minimum expectation, while ‘mo’ (も) emphasizes that the number is surprisingly large. If 10 people was a lot, use ‘mo’.
❌ Overusing ‘wa’ for every quantity without wanting to imply a minimum.
✅ 少なくとも５人は必要です。
While ‘Suryou + wa’ is natural, using ‘sukunakutomo’ (at least) together with it can sometimes feel redundant depending on the context, though it is used for extra emphasis.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. It can be used in both polite (~desu/masu) and casual forms.
Social Situations: Commonly used when negotiating (prices, time) or setting expectations in teams.
Regional Variations: None significant; used universally across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
数量 + は vs. 少なくとも (Sukunakutomo)
‘Suryou + wa’ is more concise and common in speech. ‘Sukunakutomo’ is an adverb that means ‘at the very least’ and is slightly more formal/emphatic.
When to use: Use ‘wa’ for natural flow; use ‘sukunakutomo’ for strong emphasis on the minimum.
数量 + は vs. 数量 + も
‘Wa’ sets a minimum floor (at least). ‘Mo’ emphasizes a surprisingly large amount (as many as).
When to use: Use ‘wa’ when you need more; use ‘mo’ when you are impressed by the amount.
📝 Conjugation Notes
This pattern is simply the addition of the particle ‘wa’ (は) after a number and its corresponding counter (e.g., 人, 円, 時間, 冊).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
There is often a slight stress on the quantity before the ‘wa’ to emphasize the importance of that minimum amount.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of the particle ‘wa’ (は) as drawing a line on the ground. Everything above that line is acceptable, but the number specified is the ‘floor’ or the absolute minimum.
Other Grammar
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.