Minuto

Minuto is the unit of time used in Spanish and Portuguese, equal to sixty seconds. The word comes from the Latin minutus, meaning small, reflecting its role as a subdivision of the hour in the sexagesimal time system that originated in antiquity. In addition to its use as a time measure, minuto appears in contexts related to shorter intervals and moments.

In everyday language, minuto is used with hours to express durations and is shown on clocks and timetables. It also appears in phrases describing brief time spans, such as “un minuto” or “dos minutos.” In sports and broadcasting, minutes mark periods of play or segments, and specific expressions like “minutos de descuento” refer to added, stoppage time.

Minuto also has a geographic and scientific use when qualified as “minuto de arco” or “minuto de arco” (arcminute), a unit of angular measurement equal to 1/60 of a degree. Arcminutes are used in astronomy, cartography, and surveying to describe small angles or positions on celestial or terrestrial maps.

Grammatically, the plural in Spanish and Portuguese is minutos. The term is generally translated into English as “minute.” The concept of minute contrasts with “hora” (hour) and with “segundo,” the unit of time below it. In figurative language, minuto often conveys a very brief moment, as in phrases like “un minuto de silencio.”