دَقِیقَہ
daqīqamasculine
The English word 'minute' can be said in Urdu as دَقِیقَہ (daqīqa) or مِنَٹ.
Meaning: unit of time (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| دَقِیقَہ | daqīqa | masculine |
| مِنَٹ | minaṭ | masculine |
The term refers to a unit of time.
Which one should you use?
The form دَقِیقَہ is the formal, Arabic-derived term for minute, often used in literature or formal contexts, while مِنَٹ is a direct loanword from English and is the most common way to say 'minute' in everyday spoken Urdu.
How do you pronounce it?
daqīqa
Did you know?
- The Arabic root of دَقِیقَہ originally referred to something 'small' or 'fine', mirroring how the English word 'minute' also means 'very small' when used as an adjective.
- In Urdu, the word دَقِیقَہ can also be used to mean something is 'fine' or 'subtle', such as a 'fine distinction' in a conversation.
- While مِنَٹ is common in cities, using the formal دَقِیقَہ in a very casual setting like a street market might make you sound like a character from an old historical drama.
Examples in context
- بس ایک دَقِیقَہ انتظار کریں۔Bas aik daqeeqa intezar karein.Please wait just one minute.
- میں صرف ایک دَقِیقَہ میں واپس آؤں گا۔Mein sirf aik daqeeqa mein wapas aaon ga.I will come back in only one minute.
Example conversation
Hamza is waiting for Fatima to finish getting ready.
- حمزہ Hamzaفاطمہ، کیا تم تیار ہو؟Fatima, kya tum tayyar ho?Fatima, are you ready?
- فاطمہ Fatimaبس ایک دَقِیقَہ، میں ابھی آئی۔Bas aik daqeeqa, mein abhi aayi.Just one minute, I am coming right now.
- حمزہ Hamzaہمارے پاس بہت کم وقت ہے۔Hamare paas bohat kam waqt hai.We have very little time.
- فاطمہ Fatimaمیں جلدی سے نکلتی ہوں۔Mein jaldi se nikalti hoon.I am leaving quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “minute” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
