How to Say "minute" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “minute” is “minuto” — use this word when referring to the standard unit of time, equal to 60 seconds.
minuto
mee-NOO-tohmiˈnuto
Examples
La reunión empieza en cinco minutos.
The meeting starts in five minutes.
Espera un minuto, por favor. Ya casi termino.
Wait a minute, please. I'm almost done.
Corrió la milla en menos de seis minutos.
He ran the mile in under six minutes.
La latitud se mide en grados, minutos y segundos.
Latitude is measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds.
Making it Plural
Just like in English, if you have more than one, you need to add an 's'. For example, 'un minuto' (one minute) becomes 'dos minutos' (two minutes).
Using 'un' vs. 'uno'
Mistake: “Necesito uno minuto.”
Correction: Necesito un minuto. Before a masculine word like 'minuto', always use 'un' for 'one' or 'a'. 'Uno' is for counting ('uno, dos, tres') or when it stands alone.
min
minmin
Examples
Faltan 5 min para que empiece la película.
There are 5 minutes left until the movie starts.
El tiempo de cocción es de 20 min.
The cooking time is 20 minutes.
La reunión duró 45 min, ni más ni menos.
The meeting lasted 45 minutes, no more, no less.
Use as a Symbol
Like other units of time (h for 'hora', s for 'segundo'), 'min' is an internationally recognized symbol. This means it is never pluralized (you don't add an 's') and you usually don't put a period after it.
Adding a Period or 's'
Mistake: “La clase dura 5 mins. or La clase dura 5 min.”
Correction: The correct way to write it is 'La clase dura 5 min'. Symbols for units of measure do not use a period or change form for plural.
m.
em-ayˈeme
Examples
Cocina la pasta por 8 m.
Cook the pasta for 8 min.
Faltan 5 m. para que empiece la película.
There are 5 min. left until the movie starts.
El tiempo de espera es de 10 m.
The waiting time is 10 min.
Alternative abbreviations
While 'm.' is used, 'min.' is actually the more common and official abbreviation for 'minute' in Spanish to avoid confusion with 'meters'.
Time vs Distance
Mistake: “Using 'm.' without context.”
Correction: Make sure it's clear if you mean minutes or meters. If it's confusing, use 'min.' for minutes.
momento
mo-MEN-tomoˈmento
Examples
Espera un momento, por favor.
Wait a moment, please.
Fue un momento muy especial para nosotros.
It was a very special moment for us.
En este momento, estoy ocupado.
At this moment, I'm busy.
Using 'un momento'
This is often used just like 'just a second' or 'hold on' in English. It's a very common and polite way to ask someone to wait.
Not the same as 'minuto'
Mistake: “Using 'momento' when you mean exactly 60 seconds.”
Correction: 'Un momento' is a general, short period of time. Use 'un minuto' if you are specifically talking about sixty seconds.
diminuto
dee-mee-noo-tohdi.mi.ˈnu.to
Examples
Había un insecto diminuto en la hoja de la planta.
There was a tiny insect on the leaf of the plant.
El texto es tan diminuto que necesito una lupa para leerlo.
The text is so tiny that I need a magnifying glass to read it.
Vieron una isla diminuta desde la ventana del avión.
They saw a tiny island from the airplane window.
Matching the Ending
This word changes its ending based on what you are talking about. Use 'diminuto' for masculine things (like 'un libro') and 'diminuta' for feminine things (like 'una casa').
Stronger than Small
While 'pequeño' just means 'small,' 'diminuto' implies something is much smaller—like 'tiny' or 'microscopic' in English.
Using the wrong ending
Mistake: “La caja es muy diminuto.”
Correction: La caja es muy diminuta. (Because 'caja' is a feminine word, you must change the 'o' to an 'a'.)
menudo
meh-NOO-dohmeˈnuðo
Examples
Las cuentas de collar eran tan menudas que casi no las veías.
The necklace beads were so tiny that you could hardly see them.
Se entretiene con cosas menudas y sin importancia.
He gets distracted by petty, unimportant things.
Matching the Noun
Like most Spanish describing words, 'menudo' must change its ending to match the thing it describes: 'menudo' (masculine singular), 'menuda' (feminine singular), 'menudos' (masculine plural), and 'menudas' (feminine plural).
insignificante
een-seeg-nee-fee-KAHN-tehinsiɣnifiˈkante
Examples
La diferencia de precio entre las dos tiendas es insignificante.
The price difference between the two stores is negligible.
Recibió una cantidad insignificante de dinero.
He received a paltry amount of money.
minuto
mee-NOO-tohmiˈnuto
Examples
La latitud se mide en grados, minutos y segundos.
Latitude is measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds.
La reunión empieza en cinco minutos.
The meeting starts in five minutes.
Espera un minuto, por favor. Ya casi termino.
Wait a minute, please. I'm almost done.
Corrió la milla en menos de seis minutos.
He ran the mile in under six minutes.
Making it Plural
Just like in English, if you have more than one, you need to add an 's'. For example, 'un minuto' (one minute) becomes 'dos minutos' (two minutes).
Using 'un' vs. 'uno'
Mistake: “Necesito uno minuto.”
Correction: Necesito un minuto. Before a masculine word like 'minuto', always use 'un' for 'one' or 'a'. 'Uno' is for counting ('uno, dos, tres') or when it stands alone.
Time vs. Size
Related Translations
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