fan1 zung1分鐘分钟
Jyutpingfan1 zung1
Yalefān jūng
Definition
Minute; a unit of time equal to sixty seconds.
colloquialtime
How it's used
Use 分鐘 when counting the duration of an event or a span of time. While 分 is often used in telling time to indicate the minutes past the hour, it cannot stand alone to describe a duration. Always pair 分鐘 with a number to express how long something lasts.
Examples
It takes me a full forty-five minutes to commute to work.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 分 to describe a duration. Saying 我等咗五分 is incorrect and sounds like you are referring to a score or a fraction rather than five minutes of time.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
