"Eu vou à biblioteca pelo menos uma vez por semana."

Translation: I go to the library at least once a week.

[mikstur]

Pelo menos is "at least"?

[Paulenrique]

Yes. In portuguese at least means pelo menos or ao menos

[toomanysoup]

In English, 'at least' is a strange phrase. Why use 'least' when you mean 'more'?

[Paulenrique]

In this case "pelo menos" isnt the same as "menos" (less, least). But it doesnt necessarily means more than once. The minimal that the person goes to the library is once, it can be more, but not a rule...

[mastakhan]

It doesn't mean more. It means a minimum of.

[AndersBjor8]

I dissagre. "at least x" means "not less than x" which equals "x or more than x". >=

[GrannySlasher]

Yes, of course it can be the the stated minimum amount or more - that's what "at least" means, but the point is that when something is "at least" something, it's generally accepted that what it is, is more than the stated minimum amount - hence the "standard" I chose to use.

[AndersBjor8]

Again I disagree.
There is no vague "generally accepted" notion of "at least" meaning "more than".
Why? Because it does not mean "more than".

[GrannySlasher]

Of course there is. "At least" is used to talk about a minimum amount of something. That much is clear. That amount can be the "at least" figure or more. There is much more scope and potential for it meaning more. In that sense, when we hear or read of "at least" an amount, obviously that amount can be the "at least" figure and obviously we expect that the amount will be somewhere above the "at least" figure.

And actually, if you want to get pedantic, we can say that it is equal to "more than". "At least" twenty items is equal to "more than" nineteen items.

[HelBald]

I go to the library once a week. Sometimes I go twice but I always go at least once.

[GrannySlasher]

Because you're putting a minimum on an amount, guaranteeing that more is taken as standard. Think of it like putting a minimum price on an item you're selling. By doing that, when an offer comes, it is for more. You always meant for more, and when you say it in English, you meant for it to be thought of as more.

[dtnansel]

It would be nice if when you hovered over pelo menos it would give you the definition for the words together instead of each one individually.

[JelenePhil]

Once per week should be the same as once a week; more correct, actually

[AnnarHolm]

I will go to the library at least once a week - why is that wrong? It seems that there is only ONE right answer to any question.

[JustinBlak101743]

Eu vou à = I go to the
Eu vou ir à = I will go to the

That's how I understand it anyway. Only the former captures that it's already a habit, so I don't think they're interchangeable either.