Minute
/miˈnuːtə/feminine
Minute in German is Minute, spelled the same as in English but used as a feminine noun.
Minute is the unit of time, sixty seconds and it is also used for a short moment, as when you ask someone for a minute.
Meaning: unit of time (noun)
Which one should you use?
The adjective meaning very careful and exact is a different word, minutiös or minuziös. To write the minutes of a meeting is protokollieren.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Minute is feminine, so it takes die and eine. The plural is Minuten.
How do you pronounce it?
Minute is pronounced /miˈnuːtə/, with the stress on the second syllable. The final e is spoken, like the a at the end of sofa.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget that Minute is feminine. Say die Minute and eine Minute, never a masculine article.
Did you know?
- The word Minute entered the German language in the 15th century from the Medieval Latin minūta, which could mean either a '60th of an hour' or a 'note'.
- While English uses 'minutes' to describe the written record of a meeting, German uses Protokoll, meaning the 'minutes' of a meeting are actually a 'protocol'.
- While an English speaker might say 'Wait a minute' to mean 'Wait a moment', a German speaker is more likely to use the word Moment for this social request. Using Minute can sound as though you are literally requesting exactly sixty seconds of time.
Examples in context
- Ich habe eine Minute.I have a minute.Ich habe eine Minute uses the feminine article eine.Tatoeba #7451725 by Yorwba, translation #2358762 by CK
- Haben Sie eine Minute?Could you give us a minute?Haben Sie eine Minute is a polite way to ask someone for a moment of their time.Tatoeba #6611643 by Felixjp, translation #3151593 by CK
- Du hast 1 Minute Zeit.You have one minute.Du hast 1 Minute Zeit tells a friend they have one minute.Tatoeba #8807192 by wolfgangth, translation #2647248 by CK
- Ich warte schon seit einer MinuteI have been waiting for a minute already
- Bleiben Sie bitte einen Augenblick am ApparatPlease hold the line for a moment
- Ich benötige noch ein Minütchen Ihrer ZeitI still need a minute of your time
- Warte eine Sekunde, ich bin gleich fertigWait a minute, I'll be ready soon
- Gib mir einen Augenblick Zeit, um darüber nachzudenkenGive me a minute to think about it
- Warte mal einen Moment, ich muss noch etwas erledigenWait a moment, I need to take care of something
- Sie haben noch eine Minute.They have one more minute.
- 262 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Lukas are waiting for the train.
- LauraNur noch eine Minute, dann kommt der Zug.Only one minute left, then the train comes.
- LukasHoffentlich hat er keine Verspätung.Hopefully it is not delayed.
- LauraLukas, siehst du den Zug schon?Lukas, do you see the train already?
- LukasJa, er fährt in einer Minute ein.Yes, it arrives in one minute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “minute” translations and entries Minute, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Minute, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
