second
A second is a basic unit of time that is equal to one-sixtieth of a minute. It is used to measure very short durations or to pinpoint a specific moment in time.
Exemples
3 sur 5Wait a second, I forgot my wallet.
Wait for a very short time, I forgot my wallet.
The chemical reaction occurs in less than one second.
The chemical reaction happens in under one unit of time.
Give me a sec, I'm almost ready!
Give me a moment, I am nearly finished.
Famille de mots
Astuce mémo
Think of the 'second hand' on a watch—it is the thin hand that moves the fastest, ticking every single second.
Quiz rapide
There are sixty ______ in one minute.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : seconds
Exemples
Wait a second, I forgot my wallet.
everydayWait for a very short time, I forgot my wallet.
The chemical reaction occurs in less than one second.
formalThe chemical reaction happens in under one unit of time.
Give me a sec, I'm almost ready!
informalGive me a moment, I am nearly finished.
The experiment measures the interval to the nearest thousandth of a second.
academicThe test measures time down to a very small fraction of a unit.
Please hold for a second while I check your account details.
businessPlease wait briefly while I look at your information.
Famille de mots
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
at the last second
at the final possible moment
second by second
happening gradually as time passes
hang on a second
wait for a moment
Souvent confondu avec
The unit of time refers to duration, while the ordinal refers to the position after the first.
A minute is a longer unit of time consisting of sixty seconds.
Notes d'usage
In casual conversation, 'second' is often shortened to 'sec'. It is frequently used figuratively to mean any very short period of time, not exactly 1/60th of a minute.
Erreurs courantes
Learners sometimes forget that 'seconds' is plural when referring to more than one (e.g., 'five second' instead of 'five seconds').
Astuce mémo
Think of the 'second hand' on a watch—it is the thin hand that moves the fastest, ticking every single second.
Origine du mot
Derived from the Medieval Latin 'secunda pars minuta', meaning the 'second diminished part' of an hour (the first being a minute).
Modèles grammaticaux
Contexte culturel
In many cultures, counting 'one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand' is a common way to estimate the passage of seconds manually.
Quiz rapide
There are sixty ______ in one minute.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : seconds
Grammaire lie
Expressions liées
Vocabulaire associé
Mots lis
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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