分钟

• Pinyin: fēn zhōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 分 (fēn) — division, minute; 钟 (zhōng) — clock, bell

Meaning

Minute. A unit of time equal to sixty seconds.

One of the most essential time words in Chinese. Used in everyday conversation for scheduling, estimating duration, and telling time. In casual speech, 分 alone is often used instead of the full 分钟.

Examples

1. 请等我五分钟。 Please wait for me five minutes.
2. 从这里走到学校要二十分钟。 It takes twenty minutes to walk from here to school.
3. 老师说还有十分钟下课。 The teacher said there are ten minutes left before class ends.

Usage Guide

Context: time, scheduling, everyday

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 我五分钟就到。(I'll be there in five minutes.)
• 这部电影有一百二十分钟。(This movie is 120 minutes long.)

Don't Say

• 不要说'三个分钟' — the correct pattern is 三分钟, without 个; 分钟 does not use 个 as a measure word before it.

Origin & History

Compound of 分 (a division, a minute) and 钟 (clock, bell). Together they specify the time unit measured by a clock.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal