分钟
fēnzhōng
Minute · trad. 分鐘
分钟 (fēnzhōng) is the standard unit of time meaning "minute" in Mandarin Chinese. It is used when counting or referring to durations of time.
What does 分钟 (fēnzhōng) mean?
分钟 (fēnzhōng) means “minute” in English.
When to use it
Neutral and universally understood. It is always used after a number to specify a duration, such as "五分钟" (wǔ fēnzhōng) for "five minutes."
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "fen-JONG." The first syllable has a high-level tone, and the second has a high-level tone.
Other ways to say it
- 几分钟jǐ fēnzhōnga few minutes
- 十分钟shí fēnzhōngten minutes
- 一分钟yī fēnzhōngone minute
Examples
请等我几分钟。
qǐng děng wǒ jǐ fēnzhōng.
Please wait for me for a few minutes.
会议还有十分钟就开始了。
huìyì hái yǒu shí fēnzhōng jiù kāishǐ le.
The meeting will start in ten minutes.
我需要五分钟来完成这项工作。
wǒ xūyào wǔ fēnzhōng lái wánchéng zhè xiàng gōngzuò.
I need five minutes to finish this work.
Pro tip: Always place the number before 分钟 when specifying a duration, for example, "三分钟" (sān fēnzhōng) for "three minutes."
Related phrases
下午 · Afternoon晚上 · Evening or night小时 · Hour
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