At least, at the latest: 〜とも
Adj-い (without い) + くとも : 少なくとも, 遅くとも, 多くとも, 早くとも ; number + とも
少なくとも／多くとも／遅くとも／早くとも: setting a lower or upper limit in an estimate. Number + とも: “all…” (二人とも, 両方とも).
In short
Attached to a few adjectives, 〜くとも sets a limit in an estimate: 少なくとも (“at least”), 多くとも (“at most”), 遅くとも (“at the latest”), 早くとも (“at the earliest”). These are fixed, rather formal forms. After a number of people or things, とも means “all…”: 二人とも, 三つとも, 両方とも.
- この仕事は、少なくとも三日はかかる。このしごとは、すくなくともみっかはかかる。This job will take at least three days.
- 遅くとも九時までには来てください。おそくともくじまでにはきてください。Please come by nine o'clock at the latest.
- 兄弟は三人とも名古屋に住んでいる。きょうだいはさんにんともなごやにすんでいる。All three of my brothers live in Nagoya.
The basics
In 少なくとも, you can recognise 少ない (“few”): “even counting as few as possible”. It's a way of setting a boundary in an estimate: the real figure may be higher, never lower. Likewise, 遅くとも = “even at the latest”, 多くとも = “even counting generously”.
These words go before the quantity or the date, which is often followed by は (三日は, 一時間は) to stress the limit.
This job will take at least three days.
- noun
- grammatical form
- verb
- 駅までは、少なくとも二十分は歩きます。えきまでは、すくなくともにじゅっぷんはあるきます。It's at least a twenty-minute walk to the station.
The fixed forms
In this sense, four words are the ones to remember. They're adverbs to be learnt as they are.
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 少なくとも | at least | 少なくとも千円はする |
| 多くとも | at most | 参加者は多くとも二十人だ |
| 遅くとも | at the latest | 遅くとも九時までに |
| 早くとも | at the earliest | 早くとも来月になる |
- 参加者は、多くとも二十人ぐらいだろう。さんかしゃは、おおくともにじゅうにんぐらいだろう。There'll be about twenty participants at most.
- 工事が終わるのは、早くとも来年の春だ。こうじがおわるのは、はやくともらいねんのはるだ。The works won't be finished until next spring at the earliest.
Number + とも: all…
After a number of people or objects, とも covers the whole group: 二人とも (“both”), 三人とも (“all three”), 両方とも (“both of them”). With a negative, you get “neither”: 二人とも来なかった.
- このケーキは、三つともおいしかった。このケーキは、みっつともおいしかった。These cakes were all three delicious.
- 両親は二人とも、今年で七十歳になる。りょうしんはふたりとも、ことしでななじゅっさいになる。My parents are both turning seventy this year.
くとも, くても, せめて
In written language, 〜くとも is also the formal version of 〜くても (“even if”): たとえ苦しくとも、あきらめない (“even if it's hard, I won't give up”). It's rare, kept for speeches or literary texts.
せめて also means “at least”, but for a minimal wish: せめて一日休みたい (“I'd like at least one day off”). 少なくとも is for estimating, せめて for wishing. Finally, don't confuse it with と + も (“with… too”): 彼とも話した = “I talked with him too”.
| Word | Role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 少なくとも | minimum estimate | 少なくとも三日かかる |
| せめて | minimal wish | せめて一日休みたい |
| 〜くとも (written) | even if | たとえ苦しくとも |
| N とも (と + も) | with… too | 彼とも話した |
- 休みがないなら、せめて週末はゆっくり寝たい。やすみがないなら、せめてしゅうまつはゆっくりねたい。Since I can't have a holiday, I'd like at least to have a lie-in at the weekend. (せめて)
Common mistakes
- Freely making 〜くとも from any adjective: in the sense “at least, at most”, stick to the few fixed forms (少なくとも, 多くとも, 遅くとも, 早くとも).
- Mixing up 少なくとも (estimate: “at the minimum”) and せめて (wish: “at least, failing anything better”).
- Reading 二人とも as “with two people”: after a number, とも means “all…”.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N2 point is on the Kintetsu Nagoya Line (Rites and daily life) of the Nagoya lines.