Inklingo

How to Say "smallest" in Spanish

The Spanish word forsmallestis mínimoA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1
AdjectiveA1
size or quantity
A tiny single red apple sitting alone inside a large, empty wooden crate, illustrating the smallest required amount.

Examples

Solo necesitamos la cantidad mínima de agua para el café.

We only need the minimum amount of water for the coffee.

El daño fue mínimo, no te preocupes.

The damage was minimal (very small), don't worry.

Puso un esfuerzo mínimo en la tarea.

He put minimal effort into the assignment.

Agreement is Key

As an adjective, 'mínimo' changes its ending to match the noun it describes: use 'mínima' for feminine nouns (e.g., 'la ayuda mínima') and 'mínimos/mínimas' for plural nouns.

Mixing up Adjective and Adverb

Mistake:Hizo un trabajo muy mínimo.

Correction: Hizo un trabajo muy pequeño/escaso. While 'mínimo' means 'least possible,' it usually describes nouns (a minimum amount) and is less common for general descriptions where 'pequeño' (small) or 'escaso' (scarce) might be better.

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