Au moins, il ne pleut pas.

At least, it is not raining.

Breakdown of Au moins, il ne pleut pas.

• ne ... pas: not
• pleuvoir: to rain
• il: it
• au moins: at least

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?