Number/Amount + は (JLPT N4)

Structure

Number/Amount + Counter + （くらい⁽¹⁾） + は
Noun + くらい⁽¹⁾ + は

⁽¹⁾ ぐらい

Details

About Number/Amount + は

The は particle has two primary functions. The first is to mark the topic of a sentence, as learned very early in our Japanese language journey. However, the second common usage of は is to highlight contrast (making a comparison). When は is used after a number/counter, it regularly has this comparison meaning. This can be translated as 'or so', or 'at least'.

Before は, the counter is regularly followed by くらい (or ぐらい). This just softens the statement, and further highlights the 'or so' meaning.

Despite being translated as 'at least', the comparative meaning of は itself is what creates the nuance of this grammar structure. The thing before は is being highlighted as an amount, while also implying that there are other amounts. This implication of another amount makes は sound as if it could mean 'as opposed to (B)'. So in essence, this grammar structure sounds like 'As for (A), as opposed to (B)', where (B) is not usually mentioned.

Examples

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クリスマスぐらいは家(いえ)に帰(かえ)って来(き)てね？

Won't you come home for Christmas, at least?

少(すく)なくともこれぐらいは持(も)って行(い)ってください。

At the very least, at least bring this with you.

囚人(しゅうじん)のうち少(すく)なくとも６人(ろくにん)は逃(に)げたらしい。

I heard that at least 6 prisoners have escaped.

この食(た)べ物(もの)は少(すく)なくとも床(ゆか)に３(さん)秒(びょう)は落(お)ちていたから食(た)べられない。

This food was on the floor for at least 3 seconds, so I can't eat it.

付(つ)き合(あ)っているんだから手(て)ぐらいはつないだでしょうね？

Since you are going out, you were at least holding hands, right?

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- は = at least?
  Japanese StackExchange

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- [AIAIJ] An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
  Page 229
- Tobira
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Number/Amount + は – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (9 in total)

Fuga
Hey @okayfrog !

The Main difference between these grammar point is that は has the nuance of ‘at least’ while も has the nuance of ‘as much as’ and has the nuance that the speaker is surprised.

For example, the sentence, 彼は昨日4人前ぐらいは食べた (He ate at least four peoples worth of food last night) is just stating the fact that he ate 4 servings while, and in the sentence, 彼は昨日4人前も食べた (He ate as much as 4 peoples worth of food last night), you can see that the speaker is surprised by the fact that he ate as much as 4 peoples worth of food.

I hope that this answers your questions!
okayfrog
I’ll try and keep that in mind, thank you.
killhour
This is what was confusing me - I saw 少すくなくとも in an earlier sentence and tried to look it up only to find that there is no grammar point for it, and the examples are wrapped up into this. Looking around the internet, it seems like 少すくなくとも itself means “at least,” regardless of the は. Maybe it should be a separate grammar point?