<p>Consider it this way: If <em>your offer</em> and <em>his expectation from you</em> are at two opposite ends, then the <strong>most</strong> you can offer only meets the <strong>least</strong> he has expected, or even less.</p>

<p>So the perspective(point of view) affects the use of "most" and "least" -- quite subtle. To make a specific case clear, we need the vivid context.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T03:06:44.163Z
2014-03-04T03:06:44.163Z
Jimm Chen
<p>I think you maybe have understanding issues.</p>

<p>最多 does not mean "at least". It means at the most. </p>

<p>I honestly have no idea why someone who provided you the best answer from user3992 is having negative points but his answer is correct. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-03T23:43:18.123Z
2014-04-03T23:43:18.123Z
user3019766
<p>This heavily depends on the situation and the tone of the speaker. But in general, the speaker is either asking for something/help, or willing to gift something to listener because listener is unpleasant.</p>
<p>It is not like <code>&quot;I will only treat you dinner tomorrow at most&quot;</code>, but <code>&quot;I will treat you a dinner tomorrow, please do me a favor&quot;</code>, or <code>&quot;You look sad, I could treat you a dinner tomorrow&quot;</code>.</p>
<p>I just found out an easy way to distinguish between them, is to listen if it is &quot;我最多&quot; or &quot;最多我&quot;:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我最多請你食飯㗎喳<br>I could only treat you a dinner at most.</p>
<p>最多我請返你食飯啦<br>I will treat you a dinner tomorrow~</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The most difficult thing in Cantonese is the emotional particles. Most of the sentences will include particles at the end and represent our attitude and emotion. There are a lot of them but they are only 1-3 characters so it is very easy to be confused. I suggest you to ask your Hong Konger friends about it or you can ask me too.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-28T01:57:34.857Z
2014-02-28T01:57:34.857Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
008
<p>In Vietnamese, 最多 means at most, upper limit. And 最少 means at least.
Not sure why in Cantonese.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T09:39:31.230Z
2014-03-04T09:39:31.230Z
Tuan
<p>It means "at most". Cause I believe Chinese people's nature is to do as less as possible, so we say </p>

<pre><code>A: 你可以帮我做完这件事无?
B: 可以! 我做这件事可以拿到乜嘢?
A: 最多，我可以请你吃饭. 

A: Can you help me with something?
B: What will I get out of this?
A: I can, at most, treat you to dinner. 
</code></pre>

<p>"At least" in contrast we use for if someone declines our favor.  </p>

<pre><code>A: 你帮我好多, 我可以用乜嘢方法报答你无?
B: 毋使!
A: 至少 ，我应该请你吃饭.

A: You helped me so much, how can I repay you?
B: No need to.
A: At the very least, I should treat you to dinner. 
</code></pre>

<p>Edit:It's a perspective problem. It's usually from the speaker's perspective, not the listener's. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-27T20:17:14.080Z
It's more natural to say 至少 or (最)起码 instead of 最少.
user58955
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-28T00:32:16.537Z
I agree with @user3992 that it means "at most", "in the best condition", "the most I can give".
j5shi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-28T01:38:07.243Z
I totally disagree with this answer. When someone say "最多，我请你吃饭" to me for doing him a favour, I would take it that the person would really treat me to a meal, not anything lesser.
杨以轩
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-28T03:05:40.430Z
@user58955 Agreed. I use both dialects so much that I sometimes use one in the other when writing.
user3992
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T00:44:53.867Z
Interesting. I have never heard hong konger talking cantonese like that, are they conversations in mainland country?
008
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T00:46:56.543Z
Because it's more like cantonese mixed with chiuchow dialect
008
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-27T09:25:40.230Z
2014-02-28T03:04:45.830Z
2014-02-28T03:04:45.830Z
user3992
<p>I often hear on TVB shows that people say 最多 in a context when they mean to say, "at the very least?" For instance, something like, "At the very least, I'll take you to dinner tomorrow for being late."</p>

<p>Why is this?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-27T08:13:21.217Z
Not just Cantonese. This is applicable to Mandarin too.
杨以轩
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-27T08:14:00.597Z
OK, any explanation why this is?
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-27T08:18:12.910Z
I have absolutely no idea too :)
杨以轩
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-27T08:18:40.537Z
What's the Chinese translation of your example?
user58955
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-27T09:13:09.230Z
It could be translated to "at most". At most i could only bring you to dinner tomorrow.
sel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-28T02:51:37.780Z
Could you please provide an example with more context?
congusbongus
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T00:30:08.973Z
@sel is right, in cantonese we use it differently. We don't really say "at the very least", we say "AT MOST I'LL DO THIS, KAYTHXBAI"
domdomcodecode
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-05T19:46:39.120Z
@QuestionOverflow Can you give an example with complete sentences? I couldn't picture it...
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-07T03:05:37.420Z
@NS.X., example usage:"真是对不起，我又迟到了。别生气...最多明天请你吃晚餐好不好？"
杨以轩
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-07T22:00:30.263Z
@QuestionOverflow Hmmm I haven't heard that kind of usage before. Sounds like confused speaking with random words to me.
NS.X.
<cantonese><topolect>
Why do people often say 最多 in Cantonese when they mean "at the very least"?
# Why do people often say 最多 in Cantonese when they mean "at the very least"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-02-27)

I often hear on TVB shows that people say 最多 in a context when they mean to say, "at the very least?" For instance, something like, "At the very least, I'll take you to dinner tomorrow for being late."

Why is this?

**Tags:** cantonese, topolect

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Not just Cantonese. This is applicable to Mandarin too.  
> **username_0**: OK, any explanation why this is?  
> **username_1**: I have absolutely no idea too :)  
> **username_2**: What's the Chinese translation of your example?  
> **username_3**: It could be translated to "at most". At most i could only bring you to dinner tomorrow.  
> **username_4**: Could you please provide an example with more context?  
> **username_5**: @username_3 is right, in cantonese we use it differently. We don't really say "at the very least", we say "AT MOST I'LL DO THIS, KAYTHXBAI"  
> **username_6**: @QuestionOverflow Can you give an example with complete sentences? I couldn't picture it...  
> **username_1**: @NS.X., example usage:"真是对不起，我又迟到了。别生气...最多明天请你吃晚餐好不好？"  
> **username_6**: @QuestionOverflow Hmmm I haven't heard that kind of usage before. Sounds like confused speaking with random words to me.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2014-03-04. Score: 2

Consider it this way: If *your offer* and *his expectation from you* are at two opposite ends, then the **most** you can offer only meets the **least** he has expected, or even less.

So the perspective(point of view) affects the use of "most" and "least" -- quite subtle. To make a specific case clear, we need the vivid context.


---

### Answer by username_8 on 2014-04-03. Score: 0

I think you maybe have understanding issues.

最多 does not mean "at least". It means at the most.

I honestly have no idea why someone who provided you the best answer from username_11 is having negative points but his answer is correct.


---

### Answer by username_9 on 2014-02-28. Score: 0

This heavily depends on the situation and the tone of the speaker. But in general, the speaker is either asking for something/help, or willing to gift something to listener because listener is unpleasant.

It is not like `"I will only treat you dinner tomorrow at most"`, but `"I will treat you a dinner tomorrow, please do me a favor"`, or `"You look sad, I could treat you a dinner tomorrow"`.

I just found out an easy way to distinguish between them, is to listen if it is "我最多" or "最多我":

> 我最多請你食飯㗎喳  
> I could only treat you a dinner at most.
>
> 最多我請返你食飯啦  
> I will treat you a dinner tomorrow~

The most difficult thing in Cantonese is the emotional particles. Most of the sentences will include particles at the end and represent our attitude and emotion. There are a lot of them but they are only 1-3 characters so it is very easy to be confused. I suggest you to ask your Hong Konger friends about it or you can ask me too.


---

### Answer by username_10 on 2014-03-04. Score: 0

In Vietnamese, 最多 means at most, upper limit. And 最少 means at least.
Not sure why in Cantonese.


---

### Answer by username_11 on 2014-02-27. Score: -3

It means "at most". Cause I believe Chinese people's nature is to do as less as possible, so we say

```
A: 你可以帮我做完这件事无?
B: 可以! 我做这件事可以拿到乜嘢?
A: 最多，我可以请你吃饭. 

A: Can you help me with something?
B: What will I get out of this?
A: I can, at most, treat you to dinner. 

```

"At least" in contrast we use for if someone declines our favor.

```
A: 你帮我好多, 我可以用乜嘢方法报答你无?
B: 毋使!
A: 至少 ，我应该请你吃饭.

A: You helped me so much, how can I repay you?
B: No need to.
A: At the very least, I should treat you to dinner. 

```

Edit:It's a perspective problem. It's usually from the speaker's perspective, not the listener's.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: It's more natural to say 至少 or (最)起码 instead of 最少.  
> **username_12**: I agree with @username_11 that it means "at most", "in the best condition", "the most I can give".  
> **username_1**: I totally disagree with this answer. When someone say "最多，我请你吃饭" to me for doing him a favour, I would take it that the person would really treat me to a meal, not anything lesser.  
> **username_11**: @username_2 Agreed. I use both dialects so much that I sometimes use one in the other when writing.  
> **username_9**: Interesting. I have never heard hong konger talking cantonese like that, are they conversations in mainland country?  
> **username_9**: Because it's more like cantonese mixed with chiuchow dialect  

---

