Portuguese · Time, Numbers & Colors
"Minute" in Portuguese: minuto
o minuto
Minute in Portuguese is o minuto. Say um minuto, cinco minutos, or só um minutinho. Brazilians use minutinho as a soft please wait.
On the phone
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How to pronounce minuto
Say it
mee-NOO-too
/mi.ˈnu.tu/
mee-NOO-too. Stress noo.
"Minute" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| o minuto | the minute Singular time unit. | Singular time unit. |
| os minutos | the minutes Plural. | Plural. |
| um minutinho | just a sec Polite softener. | Polite softener. |
| em cinco minutos | in five minutes ETA talk. | ETA talk. |
| por um minuto | for a minute Duration. | Duration. |
How to use minuto in real life
- 1On the phone
Só um minuto, já volto.
Just a minute, I'll be right back.
Um minuto is clear; minutinho softens the same idea.
- 2Transit ETA
O ônibus chega em dez minutos.
The bus arrives in ten minutes.
Em + minutes for ETA.
- 3Cooking
Deixa o arroz mais um minuto no fogo.
Leave the rice on the heat one more minute.
Kitchen timing.
Mistakes English speakers make with minuto
Incorrect: A minuto passou.
Correct: O minuto passou.
Minuto is masculine: o minuto.
Incorrect: Espera um minute.
Correct: Espera um minuto.
Portuguese spelling is minuto.
Good to know
Um minutinho rarely means exactly sixty seconds—it means please wait a moment. In Brazil, service workers and friends use it constantly. For exact clock talk, stick to minutos with numbers.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Waiting for an elevator
ChatPal
Falta só um minuto para o elevador.
There's just one minute left for the elevator.
You
Um minuto eu aguento. Sem pressa.
I can handle one minute. No rush.
ChatPal
Se atrasar dois minutos, a gente sobe pela escada.
If it's two minutes late, we'll take the stairs.
You
Beleza. Mais um minuto e decidimos.
Okay. One more minute and we decide.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Minute" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Minute" in Portuguese
Singular and plural?
O minuto, os minutos.
Just a sec?
Um minutinho.
In five minutes?
Em cinco minutos.
Gender?
Masculine: o minuto.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
