01
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
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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 Stunde
hour
'die Minute' and 'die Stunde' are both units of time. The difference is their length: one minute lasts sixty seconds, while one hour lasts sixty minutes. Learners may confuse the words because both occur very often with clock times, appointments, and expressions of duration. The important point is: for short periods of time, you usually say 'Minute'; for longer periods, 'Stunde'. You also need to be precise with numbers, because 'zehn Minuten' (ten minutes) and 'zehn Stunden' (ten hours) are very different.
Minute
Beim Termin musste die Gruppe nur fünf Minuten warten.
At the appointment, the group only had to wait five minutes.
Stunde
Die Ärztin hat heute erst in einer Stunde Zeit.
The doctor won't have time until an hour from now.
In real life
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