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How to Say ‘Twenty minutes late’ in German

Zwanzig Minuten Verspätung

TSVAN-tsikh mee-NOO-ten fair-SHPAY-toong

[TSVAN-tsikh mee-NOO-ten fair-SHPAY-toong]

💬 Usage Tip: There's no "of" between the amount and Verspätung; the time just sits in front of it. Likewise zehn Minuten Pause "a ten-minute break".

Phrase Breakdown

Zwanzig Minuten

TSVAN-tsikh mee-NOO-ten

Twenty minutes

'zwanzig' sounds like 'TSVAN-tsich'. 'Minuten' is stressed on the middle syllable: 'mi-NOO-ten'.

Example

Ich brauche zwanzig Minuten.

I need twenty minutes.

Words in this phrase

Zwanzig

[TSVAN-tsikh]

twenty

The number 20.

Example

Ich habe zwanzig Euro.

I have twenty euros.

Minuten

[mee-NOO-ten]

minutes

Plural of 'die Minute'.

Example

Warte zehn Minuten.

Wait ten minutes.

Verspätung

[fair-SHPAY-toong]

delay

Feminine noun; when something is later than planned.

Example

Der Flug hat eine Verspätung.

The flight has a delay.

Guides for German learners

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