لااقل

What it means

لااقل (lâ-aghal) is an adverb meaning at least or at the minimum. It is composed of the Arabic negative particle لا (lâ, no/not) and the superlative form أقل (aghal, less, fewer), so the literal construction is “not less than” or “no fewer than,” producing the meaning at the very least. In Persian it is used exactly like the English phrase at least: to set a floor on a quantity, frequency, or level of behavior expected. A close synonym in informal Persian is حداقل (haddaqall), which is more formal and more common in writing, while لااقل is slightly more colloquial and conversational. Both are fully interchangeable in speech.

How to use it

• لااقل یه بار امتحان کن (lâ-aghal ye bâr emtehân kon) “Try it at least once.”
• لااقل زنگ میزدی (lâ-aghal zang mizadi) “You could have at least called.”
• لااقل بگو چرا (lâ-aghal begu cherâ) “At least tell me why.”
• لااقل ده دقیقه صبر کن (lâ-aghal dah daghighe sabr kon) “Wait at least ten minutes.”

Cultural note

لااقل often carries a note of mild reproach or lowered expectation in Persian conversation. When someone says لااقل یه پیام میدادی (you could have at least sent a message), the word signals that the speaker has already given up on the ideal outcome and is now bargaining for the minimum. This rhetorical move, accepting less while making the shortfall visible, is a recognizable feature of Persian indirect communication, where full complaints are often softened into minimum requests. Learning لااقل gives learners access to this tone.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab