When learning German, you will often come across words like mindestens, spätestens, höchstens, and häufigstens. These words help to set limits on quantity, time, or frequency, and each has a specific meaning.
Mindestens (at least) is used when talking about a minimum amount, number, or level. It indicates that something should not be less than a certain value. For example:
Ich brauche mindestens acht Stunden Schlaf - I need at least eight hours of sleep
[This means 8 hours is the minimum; more is okay, but less is not] [die Stunde – hour (pl. die Stunden)]
Du musst mindestens 18 Jahre alt sein, um Auto zu fahren - You must be at least 18 years old to drive a car
[It means you can be older, but not younger than 18 years. Got it?]
Ich bleibe mindestens eine Woche in Deutschland - I will stay in Germany for at least one week
[One week is the minimum, but I might stay longer] [die Woche – week (pl. die Wochen)]
Spätestens (at the latest or not later than) is used when talking about a deadline. It means something must happen on or before a specific time. For example:
Ich komme spätestens um 18 Uhr nach Hause - I will be home by 6 PM at the latest
[This means, I might come earlier, but not later than 6 PM]
Bitte bezahlen Sie die Rechnung spätestens bis Montag - Please pay the bill by Monday at the latest
[You can pay earlier, but not after Monday. Monday is the deadline.]
Der Zug fährt spätestens um 9 Uhr ab - The train leaves at 9 AM at the latest
[It may leave earlier, but not later than 9 AM] [abfahren – to depart, to leave]
Höchstens (at most) is used when talking about a maximum amount, number, or level. It indicates that something should not be more than a certain value. For example:
Ich trinke höchstens zwei Tassen Kaffee am Tag - I drink at most two cups of coffee per day
[Means: I might drink less, but not more than two cups] [die Tasse – cup (pl. die Tassen)]
Du kannst hier höchstens 30 Minuten parken - You can park here for at most 30 minutes
[It means, 30 minutes parking is the maximum time allowed; less is okay, but not more] [die Minute – minute (pl. die Minuten)]
Es dauert höchstens eine Stunde - It will take at most one hour
[It might take less time, but not more than one hour. In one hour it will be done in anyway.]
Häufigstens (at the most frequent) - Rarely used.
This word is not commonly used in everyday German. It means something happens as frequently as possible but is rarely needed in daily speech. Instead, people usually say 'am häufigsten' (most frequently). For example:
Welches Restaurant besuchst du am häufigsten? - Which restaurant do you visit most frequently?
Sie reist am häufigsten nach Spanien - She travels most frequently to Spain
Am häufigsten reise ich nach Spanien - I travel to Spain most frequently
Diese Frage wird am häufigsten im Test gestellt - This question is asked most frequently in the test
Dieses Wort wird am häufigsten in der deutschen Sprache verwendet - This word is used most frequently in the German language
[verwenden – to use something, to apply something]