minuutien

Minuutien is the genitive plural form of the Finnish noun minuutt i, which means minute. The standard nominative plural is minuutit, while the genitive plural minuuttien is used in constructions that require the genitive case. In Finnish, this form appears in phrases that indicate intervals or durations and after certain prepositions.

Usage and examples

Minuuttien is commonly found in expressions describing time intervals, such as minuuttien välein, which means at minute intervals (for example, “ohjelma päivittyy minuuttien välein” – the program updates at minute intervals). It also occurs in phrases like minuuttien kuluessa or minuuttien välissä to indicate “as minutes pass,” “during the minutes,” or “between minutes,” depending on the preposition and context. When used to describe a length of time with a specific numeral, Finnish typically uses the singular genitive form, for example kolmen minuutin kesto ("a three-minute duration").

Relation to other forms

Minuutti is the base noun meaning one minute. Its forms include the nominative singular minuutt i, the partitive minuutt ia, the genitive singular minuutin, the genitive plural minuuttien, and the nominative plural minuutit. The genitive plural minuuttien is thus one of several inflected forms that Finnish uses to express possession, quantity, or timing.

Notes

Minuutien is a standard, widely understood form in contemporary Finnish and appears in writing about schedules, timing, and durations. It is distinct from the nominative plural minuutit (minutes) and from the singular genitive minuutin (of a minute) used in compound constructions.