Useful Russian expression ‘по крайней мере’ (=at least)

Translating the short yet incredibly useful English idiom ‘at least’ into Russian might not be as straightforward as it seems. In Russian, we use the phrase ‘по крайней мере‘, which literally translates to ‘by the extreme standarts’. You’d probably agree that it’s not immediately evident, so do your best to commit this expression to memory.

Now, let’s delve into some examples.

Этой ночью я проснулась из-за шума по крайней мере три раза. = I woke up due to the noise at least three times last night.

По крайней мере, она попробовала сделать что-то новое. = At least she attempted something new.

Мне было трудно там учиться, по крайней мере вначале. = It was challenging for me to study there, at least initially.