Japanese Words for Minutes168

Minutes, as in measurement of time, are an important part of our lives. We use them to schedule appointments, measure cooking and baking times, and even to track our daily activities. In Japanese, there are several words that can be used to express minutes, depending on the context.

分 (fun)

The most common Japanese word for "minute" is 分 (fun). It is used in most general contexts, such as when talking about the time of day or the duration of an event.

Examples:* 今は午前10時15分です。 (Ima wa gozen jū-ji jū-go-fun desu.) - It is now 10:15 AM.
* 講演会は30分です。 (Kōenkai wa sanjū-fun desu.) - The lecture is 30 minutes long.

ミニッツ (minittsu)

The word ミニッツ (minittsu) is a loanword from English and is often used in more formal or technical contexts. It is commonly seen in written materials, such as meeting minutes or scientific reports.

Examples:* 会議の議事録は10ミニッツでまとめました。 (Kaigi no giji-roku wa jū-minittsu de matomemashita.) - I summarized the meeting minutes in 10 minutes.
* この実験の所要時間は約60ミニッツです。 (Kono jikken no shoyō-jikan wa yaku rokujū-minittsu desu.) - The estimated time required for this experiment is about 60 minutes.

秒 (byō)

While 秒 (byō) typically means "second," it can also be used to express "minute" in certain contexts. This is usually done when referring to very short durations of time, such as a few seconds or minutes.

Examples:* ちょっと待って、数秒で戻ります。 (Chotto matte, sū-byō de modorimasu.) - Please wait a moment, I'll be back in a few seconds.
* この料理は1～2分で出来上がります。 (Kono ryōri wa ichi-ni-fun de dekiagarimasu.) - This dish will be ready in about 1-2 minutes.

分間 (funkan)

The word 分間 (funkan) literally means "minutes per" and is used to indicate the rate or frequency of something occurring over a minute. It is commonly seen in scientific and technical fields.

Examples:* このマシンの回転数は毎分60回転です。 (Kono mashin no kaiten-sū wa maifun rokujū-kaiten desu.) - This machine's rotation speed is 60 rotations per minute.
* 患者の心拍数は毎分80回です。 (Kanja no shinhaku-sū wa maifun hachijū-kai desu.) - The patient's heart rate is 80 beats per minute.

その他 (Other terms)

In addition to the above words, there are a few other terms that can be used to express minutes in specific contexts:* 分時 (funji): Used to indicate the rate of something happening every minute, similar to 分間.
* 分刻み (fun-gomakki): Used to emphasize the precision or punctuality of something happening every minute.
* 分単位 (fun-tan-i): Used to indicate that something is measured or divided into minutes.

Conclusion

Understanding the different Japanese words for minutes is essential for effectively communicating time-related information. Whether you are scheduling appointments, discussing project timelines, or conducting scientific experiments, choosing the appropriate term will ensure clarity and precision.

2024-12-06

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