zeoi3 siu2最少
Jyutpingzeoi3 siu2
Yalejeui síu
Definition
At least; a minimum of; the lower bound of a quantity.
colloquialnumbersdaily actions
How it's used
Expresses a baseline expectation or a minimum requirement for a situation. It is frequently used to emphasize that a quantity or duration is the absolute floor, often implying that more would be preferred or expected. While it functions similarly to 起碼, it feels slightly more objective and focused on the numerical lower limit.
Examples
You should at least bring five hundred dollars when you go out.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse it with 至少, which is more common in formal written Chinese. In natural spoken Cantonese, 起碼 is much more frequently used than 最少 when expressing a personal expectation or a minimum requirement.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
