minuto
/miˈnu.to/masculine
The Italian word for the unit of time 'minute' is minuto.
The word minuto is used to refer to the standard unit of time. When you want to describe something that is very careful, exact or detailed, you would use the related adjective minuzioso. If you are describing something that is very small, you might use minuscolo or piccolissimo.
Meaning: unit of time (noun)
Which one should you use?
While minuto refers to the specific unit of time, you can use the word attimo as an informal way to convey the idea of a minute.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is minuto, and the plural form is minuti.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /miˈnu.to/.
Did you know?
- The word minuto is a doublet of the English word 'menu'. Both come from the Latin word minūtus, meaning 'small' or 'cut into pieces'.
- In Italian law and administration, a minuta is a draft or a rough sketch of a document, referring to the 'small' or preliminary version of a final text.
- In Italian, the word minuto can describe a person's physical build. Calling someone minuto means they are slight, petite or small-boned.
Examples in context
- Io ho un minuto.I have a minute.This sentence shows how to state that you have one minuto.Tatoeba #5061915 by Guybrush88, translation #2358762 by CK
- Mi dia un minuto.Give me a minute.This sentence shows how to ask someone to give you one minuto.Tatoeba #2131161 by Guybrush88, translation #595454 by CK
- Ci dia un minuto.Give us a minute.This sentence shows how to ask someone to give us one minuto.Tatoeba #5170241 by Guybrush88, translation #1877597 by CK
- Ho bisogno di un minuto per finire il mio discorso.I need a minute to finish my speech.
- Dammi un momentino, sto quasi pronto!Give me a minute, I'm almost ready!
- Aspettami un attimo, tornerò subito!Wait for me a minute, I'll be right back!
- 366 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina are waiting for a train.
- AlessandroIl treno arriva tra un minuto?Does the train arrive in one minute?
- MartinaNo, mancano dieci minuti.No, ten minutes are left.
- AlessandroSpero che non sia in ritardo.I hope it is not late.
- MartinaAspettiamo un minuto in più.Let's wait one more minute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “minute” translations and entries minuto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries minuto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
