die Minute
minute
A unit of time that lasts sixty seconds. Sixty minutes make one hour.
EXAMPLE
Der Zug fährt in genau fünf Minuten ab.
The train leaves in exactly five minutes.
die Minute
minute
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Meanings
die Minute
minute
A very short period of time; a moment.
EXAMPLE
Haben Sie eine Minute Zeit für mich?
Do you have a minute for me?
die Minute
minutes
In the plural (die Minuten), it refers to the written record of a meeting or discussion.
EXAMPLE
Der Sekretär war dafür verantwortlich, die Minuten der Versammlung zu führen.
The secretary was responsible for taking the minutes of the meeting.
Usage tips
Context clue
The meaning of 'Minute' depends strongly on the context. With a number ('fünf Minuten' — five minutes), it means the unit of time. On its own ('eine Minute!' — one minute!), it means a short moment. In the plural in a business context ('die Minuten der Sitzung' — the minutes of the meeting), it refers to the written record.
EXAMPLE
Ich brauche nur eine Minute, dann bin ich fertig.
I just need a minute, then I'll be finished.
Typical expressions
There are fixed expressions with 'Minute'. 'In letzter Minute' (at the last minute) means doing something just in time. 'Auf die Minute genau' (to the exact minute) means being extremely punctual.
EXAMPLE
Er kam auf die Minute genau zum Treffen.
He arrived at the meeting right on the dot.
Use in the plural
The meaning 'minutes' or 'written record' is used almost exclusively in the plural 'die Minuten'. Typical verbs in this context are 'Minuten führen' (to take minutes), 'schreiben' (to write), or 'genehmigen' (to approve).
EXAMPLE
Wer führt heute die Minuten?
Who is taking the minutes today?
Compare with
Minute vs Moment
moment
Minute and Moment can both refer to a very short wait. Eine Minute sounds more like an approximate short duration, while ein Moment places more emphasis on the immediate instant. Use „eine Minute“ when the duration is the main focus, and „einen Moment“ when someone is briefly asked to wait.
Minute
Warten Sie bitte eine Minute, dann ist der Drucker wieder frei.
Please wait a minute; the printer will be available again shortly.
Moment
Warten Sie bitte einen Moment, ich hole schnell die Unterlagen.
Please wait a moment; I’ll quickly get the documents.
In real life
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