一分钟
yī fēnzhōng
一分钟 (yī fēnzhōng) is the Chinese phrase for one minute.
The phrase refers to a specific period of time lasting sixty seconds. In casual conversation, if you want to say something will happen 'in a moment' or 'in a little while', you might use the informal term 一会儿 instead.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 一分钟 is composed of 一 (one), 分 (part/minute) and 钟 (clock/bell), literally meaning 'one clock part'.
Which one should you use?
When discussing a duration of time, use 分钟 (fēnzhōng). However, if you are referring to a specific point in time on a clock, such as 3:05, you would use 分 (fēn) instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
While 一分钟 means 'one minute', the word 分钟 (fēnzhōng) is the standard noun for 'minute' used as a measure of time.
How do you pronounce it?
yī fēnzhōng
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese timekeeping, the 'minute' as a 60-second unit is a relatively modern import. Ancient systems used 'ke' 刻, where one unit was roughly 14.4 minutes.
- The character 钟 in 一分钟 originally referred to a large bronze bell used to signal the time in ancient China. Over time, the word shifted from the sound of the bell to the mechanical clock itself.
- While 分钟 is the standard unit, the single character 分 can also mean 'cent' or 'point' in different contexts. This creates a linguistic link between dividing time and dividing currency or decimals.
Examples in context
- 一分钟有六十秒。One minute has sixty seconds.This sentence is useful for showing how to express that 一分钟 contains sixty seconds.Tatoeba #380602 by kellenparker, translation #1416883 by CK
- 你能等我一会儿吗？Can you wait for me a little while?
- 当然，我等一会儿。Of course, I'll wait a minute.
- 我们有五个人的会议，每人发言时间是一分钟。We have a meeting with five people, and each person's speaking time is one minute.
- 我只需要一分钟的时间。Wǒ zhǐ xūyào yì fēnzhōng de shíjiān.I only need one minute of time.
Example conversation
Junjie is almost ready to leave the house.
- 俊杰 Junjie佳怡，我们现在出发吗？Jiāyí, wǒmen xiànzài chūfā ma?Jiayi, are we leaving now?
- 佳怡 Jiayi请等我一分钟。Qǐng děng wǒ yì fēnzhōng.Please wait for me for one minute.
- 俊杰 Junjie你还在找钥匙吗？Nǐ hái zài zhǎo yàoshi ma?Are you still looking for your keys?
- 佳怡 Jiayi是的，马上就好。Shì de, mǎshàng jiù hǎo.Yes, I'll be ready in a moment.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
