Chinese word

分钟

Pronunciation

Pinyinfēn zhōng

Meaning

  • nounminute

Example

请等我五分钟，我马上回来。qǐng děng wǒ wǔ fēn zhōng wǒ mǎ shàng huí lái

Please wait for me for five minutes; I'll be right back.

Illustration for 分钟 (minute)

More examples

做这个练习大概要花五分钟。zuò zhè ge liàn xí dà gài yào huā wǔ fēn zhōng

This exercise will take about five minutes.

Core concept

A small, countable slice of an hour used to measure how long something lasts.

Common phrases

  • 花五分钟huā wǔ fēn zhōng

    take five minutes

  • 等我五分钟děng wǒ wǔ fēn zhōng

    wait for me for five minutes

Similar words

分fēn: A sixty-second unit used for the minute part of a stated time on the clock.
小时xiǎo shí: A time unit consisting of sixty minutes.
时间shí jiān: Time viewed generally as when things happen or how long they continue.
时候shí hòu: The particular time or occasion at which something happens.

Definition in Chinese

表示时间长度的名词，等于一小时的六十分之一，常用于表示等待或持续的短时间，如几分钟、十分钟等。biǎo shì shí jiān cháng dù de míng cí děng yú yì xiǎo shí de liù shí fēn zhī yī cháng yòng yú biǎo shì děng dài huò chí xù de duǎn shí jiān rú jǐ fēn zhōng shí fēn zhōng děng

Word origin

分 (fēn, "divide") + 钟 (zhōng, "clock") forms a time unit by dividing the clock's hour into smaller parts.

Usage tips

  • A number goes directly before 分钟 (fēnzhōng, "minute") to give a duration, so 五分钟 (wǔ fēnzhōng, "five minutes") needs no extra word between the number and the unit.

Word lists with this word