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Questions & Answers about Au moins, il ne pleut pas.
What does au moins mean here, exactly?
It means at least. It sets a minimum consolation or floor to an otherwise negative situation: things may not be great, but at least it isn’t raining. It can also mean “at least” with numbers (e.g., J’en veux au moins trois = “I want at least three”).
Do I need the comma after Au moins?
It’s optional. A comma is common because au moins is a sentence-level comment setting the tone. Without the comma is also fine in short sentences: Au moins il ne pleut pas.
Why is the subject il used if weather has no real subject?
French requires a subject pronoun in finite clauses. For weather, il is a dummy (impersonal) subject: Il pleut, Il neige, Il fait chaud.
Can I say ça pleut?
No in standard French. Use il pleut. You may hear y pleut informally/regionally (especially in Québec), but stick with il pleut in neutral French.
How does the negation ne ... pas work here?
It wraps around the conjugated verb:
- Affirmative: Il pleut.
- Negative: Il ne pleut pas. If there are adverbs/complements, they typically come after pas: Il ne pleut pas beaucoup/aujourd’hui.
Can I drop ne in speech?
Yes, in informal spoken French: Il pleut pas. In writing and in careful speech, keep ne: Il ne pleut pas.
How do you conjugate pleuvoir in common tenses?
It’s mostly impersonal (only il form):
- Present: il pleut
- Imparfait: il pleuvait
- Passé composé: il a plu
- Futur: il pleuvra
- Conditionnel: il pleuvrait
- Subjonctif: qu’il pleuve Note the past participle plu. Idiom: Il pleut des cordes (“It’s raining cats and dogs”).
How do you pronounce the sentence?
- Careful speech with the comma: [o mwɛ̃ | il nə plø pa]
- Informal (dropping ne): [o mwɛ̃ | il plø pa] Tips:
- pleut = [plø] (rhymes with bleu)
- au moins = [o mwɛ̃] (nasal vowel at the end)
- Final s in moins is silent, but before a vowel there can be a liaison: Au moins il → [o mwɛ̃.z‿il]
Is there a liaison between moins and il?
Often yes if there’s no pause: Au moins il… can be pronounced [o mwɛ̃.z‿il]. If you keep the comma as a real pause, you’ll usually avoid the liaison.
What’s the difference between au moins and du moins?
- au moins = “at least” (minimum amount/consolation): Au moins, il ne pleut pas.
- du moins = “at any rate/at least (as far as X is true)” — it qualifies or corrects a previous claim: Je viendrai — du moins, j’essaierai. With weather: Du moins, il ne pleut pas (pour l’instant).
Is au moins related to à moins que?
They’re different:
- au moins = “at least”
- à moins que = “unless” and takes the subjunctive: À moins qu’il ne pleuve, on sortira. (Here ne is often an expletive, not a negation.)
Where else can I place au moins?
- Sentence-initial: Au moins, il ne pleut pas. (most common)
- Afterthought: Il ne pleut pas, au moins.
- As a tag in a question: Il ne pleut pas, au moins ? (= “It’s not raining, is it at least?”) Avoid placing it inside ne … pas: Il ne pleut au moins pas sounds awkward.
What tone does the sentence have?
Consolation/relief: despite other downsides, not raining is a small positive. With an exclamation (Au moins, il ne pleut pas !) it can sound more emphatic or even slightly ironic.
What are natural alternatives to express a similar idea?
- Heureusement, il ne pleut pas. (Fortunately)
- En tout cas, il ne pleut pas. (In any case/at least)
- Au moins il ne pleut pas aujourd’hui. (Add a time frame)
- With numbers/thresholds (different context): Il y a au moins dix minutes d’attente.
Any common pitfalls with related words?
Yes:
- pleut (it rains) [plø] vs pluie (rain, noun) [plɥi] vs plu (rained, past participle) [ply].
- Don’t confuse pleut with pleure (cries) pleut ≠ Il pleure.