Usage note
分钟表示时间的长短，一小时有六十分钟。
fēn zhōng biǎo shì shí jiān de cháng duǎn, yī xiǎo shí yǒu liù shí fēn zhōng.
This word means 'minute' and is used to talk about how long something takes. It is a unit of time, and there are sixty minutes in one hour.
Context note
分钟是表示时间长短的单位，一小时有六十分钟。
fēn zhōng shì biǎo shì shí jiān cháng duǎn de dān wèi, yī xiǎo shí yǒu liù shí fēn zhōng.
This word is used when talking about how long something takes. It belongs to the topic of numbers and time.
5 examples
这道题只需一分钟
zhè dào tí jǐn zhǐ yī fēn zhōng
This question only takes one minute.
他每天花十分钟锻炼
tā měi tiān huā shí fēn zhōng duàn liàn
He spends ten minutes exercising every day.
这趟车只需要五分钟
zhè tàng chē jǐn zhǐ wǔ fēn zhōng
This train only takes five minutes.
这个项目可以在一个小时之内完成
zhège xiàng mù kě yǐ zài yī gè shí jiǎng zhī nèi wán chéng
This project can be completed within an hour.
他每天早上跑步十分钟
tā měi tiān zǎo shàng pǎo lù shí fēn zhōng
He runs for ten minutes every morning.
5 mini stories
小明每天早上跑步十分钟。他很喜欢这样做。
xiǎo míng měi tiān zǎo shàng pǎo lù shí fēn zhōng . tā hěn xǐ huān zuò zhè yàng .
Xiaoming runs for ten minutes every morning. He really likes doing this.
妈妈说这道题只需要一分钟。小明很快就做完了。
mā ma shuō zhè dào tí jǐn zhǐ yī fēn zhōng . xiǎo míng jiù kěnéng huò wán le .
Mom said this question only takes one minute. Xiaoming finished it quickly.
老师说这节课只需要十分钟。同学们都很高兴。
lǎo shī shuō zhè jié kè jǐn zhǐ shí fēn zhōng . tóng xué men dōu hěn gāo xìng .
The teacher said this class only takes ten minutes. The students are very happy.
小红每天早上花十分钟化妆。她觉得这样做很有效率。
xiǎo hóng měi tiān zǎo shàng huā shí fēn zhōng huá zhuāng . tā jué de zuò zhè yàng hěn xiào wěi lǜ .
Xiaohong spends ten minutes on her makeup every morning. She thinks this is very efficient.
爸爸说这趟车只需要五分钟。小明很快就到了。
bà ba shuō zhè tàng chē jǐn zhǐ wǔ fēn zhōng . xiǎo míng jiù kěnéng huò dào le .
Dad said this train only takes five minutes. Xiaoming arrived quickly.
Mini dialogue
等一会儿
A
请等我五分钟。
Qǐng děng wǒ wǔ fēnzhōng.
Please wait for me for five minutes.
B
好的，五分钟没问题。
Hǎo de, wǔ fēnzhōng méi wèntí.
Okay, five minutes is no problem.
还有多久？
A
我们还有几分钟到？
Wǒmen hái yǒu jǐ fēnzhōng dào?
How many more minutes until we arrive?
B
还有十分钟。
Hái yǒu shí fēnzhōng.
Ten more minutes.
Related words and contrasts
related
小时
xiǎoshí
hour
A longer unit of time, 60 minutes make 1 hour.
related
分
fēn
minute; point
The shorter form, used in telling time and scores.