in or after 5 minutes

[Tedwonny]

I was wondering whether in and after 5 minutes are the same. It seems to be that 'in' 5 minutes means 'within' 5 minutes so it can be 1/2/3/4/5 minutes but no later than 5 minutes. However, after 5 minutes should mean that the earliest time is the 5th minute from now.
Am I right?
thanks

 

[MikeNewYork]

I was wondering whether in and after 5 minutes are the same. It seems to be that 'in' 5 minutes means 'within' 5 minutes so it can be 1/2/3/4/5 minutes but no later than 5 minutes. However, after 5 minutes should mean that the earliest time is the 5th minute from now.
Am I right?
thanks

Pretty much. Spoken times are almost always approximate.

 

[tzfujimino]

It seems to be that 'in' 5 minutes means 'within' 5 minutes so it can be 1/2/3/4/5 [...]

Hello, Tedwonny.:-D

I think the preposition "in" in your phrase means "after a particular length of time".
Please see definition #6: http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/in

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it means "within".
(I'm also interested in your query.)

 

[emsr2d2]

If, at 10am, someone says to me "Come to my office in five minutes", it means "Come to my office at 10.05". It does not mean "Come to my office sometime within the next five minutes but no later than 10.05".

 

[Tdol]

In the next five minutes could have the within 5 minutes meaning.

 

[Tedwonny]

In the next five minutes could have the within 5 minutes meaning.

Thanks a lot
So, to summarize:

In 5 minutes = very similar to 'after 5 minutes'
In the next 5 minutes = starting from now till the 5th minute as in

I'll talk about this topic in the next five minutes (implying I'm starting now and will continue for 5 minutes).

Thanks a lot

 

[JMurray]

not a teacher

So, to summarize:
In 5 minutes = very similar to 'after 5 minutes'
In the next 5 minutes = starting from now till the 5th minute as in
I'll talk about this topic in the next five minutes (implying I'm starting now and will continue for 5 minutes)

Not quite.

"In 5 minutes" usually means in approximately five minutes from now, maybe a little earlier or later.
"The taxi should be here in five minutes."

"In the next five minutes" can mean at some time during the next five minutes.
"He said he would call me back in the next five minutes."

If you start to talk about a topic and intend to continue for five minutes, then you will be talking about it for the next five minutes.