gutxienez / behintzat / bederen

At Least

Level 4

Use gutxienez for a minimum amount: Gutxienez hiru aldiz etorri da (He has come at least three times). Use behintzat to limit what you say: Behintzat ez du euririk egin (At least it has not rained). bederen can do both, in a more formal style.

How It Works

1. gutxienez: the minimum. It comes from gutxi (few, little) and goes with numbers and amounts:

  • Gutxienez hiru aldiz etorri da. (He has come at least three times.)
  • Ordubete behar da gutxienez. (You need an hour at least.)

Do not confuse it with gutxiena, "the least", from the superlative.

2. behintzat: at least, anyway. It limits a statement or offers a small comfort. It usually comes right after the word it limits:

  • Nik behintzat ez dut uste. (I, at least, do not think so.)
  • Gaur behintzat ez du euririk egin. (Today, at least, it has not rained.)
  • Behintzat ez da ezer apurtu. (At least nothing broke.)

It can go with an amount too: behin behintzat (at least once).

3. bederen: the formal choice. The dictionary gives it both meanings: Urtean behin bederen etortzen da. (He comes at least once a year.) Nik bederen ez dut garbi ikusten. (I, at least, do not see it clearly.) You will meet it more in writing than in speech.

Tip: Ask yourself: am I counting? Then gutxienez is the clearest word. Am I limiting what I claim? Then behintzat is the usual word. Compare only, which limits in a similar way.

Examples (5)

  1. Gutxienez hiru aldiz etorri da.

    He has come at least three times.

    Counting, so gutxienez. It can also mean "She has come".

  2. Ordubete behar da gutxienez.

    You need an hour at least.

  3. Nik behintzat ez dut uste.

    I, at least, do not think so.

    behintzat follows nik and limits the claim to me.

  4. Gaur behintzat ez du euririk egin.

    Today, at least, it has not rained.

  5. Urtean behin bederen etortzen da.

    He comes at least once a year.

    bederen with an amount, in a more formal style.

Common Mistakes

  • Using gutxiena instead of gutxienez.

    Gutxiena hiru aldiz etorri da.
    Gutxienez hiru aldiz etorri da.

    gutxiena means "the least". For "at least" with a number, say gutxienez.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

gutxienez / behintzat / bederenLevel 4At Least

Learn This First

At least follows only.

Words in This Pattern

gutxienezbehintzatbederen