What does the minute hand mean on a clock?

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That's the centre one, the medium sized one, I think? Not the slow one that actually tells the time, and not the fast one that measures minutes....What does it do?

The long, fast one, measures seconds, the middle one measures minutes, and the shortest one measures hours. Don't you have those kind of clocks in your country?

I never really did see any use, for a second hand.

How does it measure minutes? Is one little movement a minute, or...? Does it tell you the minutes of the time? i.e. it's 6:45, you can see that from the proper little hour hand. Can you tell the "45" bit from the minute hand?
I couldn't even read clocks till I was like, 11. XD

You're very slightly younger than me, but I completely understand. I actually gave up telling time on analog clocks; I had a digital watch starting in elementary school and went by that. Do you actually want to learn how to tell time on an analog clock, or are you just curious?

I think there is no point unless you want to know how a clock works. I mean, there are mathematics behind the location of the marks on the edges, and the rotation of the clock hands, and mechanics that direct their movement. The little marks are for minutes and seconds.

This link may help you out: How to Read a Clock - WikiHow
Wikipedia explains the purpose of the minute hand and its movement: Clock face - Wikipedia

I'm sorry if I'm making you sound stupid by posting some "basic" information, but I don't know what you already know.

EDIT: I didn't even bother to answer your question (but I think my links will help). Yes, you're right; you can tell "45" from the minute hand.

when one is late for an important appointment, every spare minute counts. if clocks didn't have a minute hand, then unless the hour hand and clockface hour legend were very large one could not properly resolve sufficiently fine slices of time to be of any use "beating the clock" as it were. at least this would apply to me and my own struggles with time. mother nature has her moments but father time can be a very strict taskmaster, indeed.

Oh, wow! I get it now! Thanks. XD
It is a b***h. I prefer digital. More exact and quick.

I know it can be hard for some people, but learning how to read analogue clocks is a good skill to learn as they're still in wide use and I suspect always will be as the movement of the hands is an important visual cue than cannot be replicated by a digital clock. Also, you can use an analogue clock to work out other references, such as north etc.

The short, thick hand is the hour hand. When it points at a number (or on un-numbered clocks one of the twelve large markings), that number (or large marking) is what hour it is. When it goes all the way around twice, it's a new day.
The long, medium-thick hand is the minute hand. When it points at one of the sixty markings, that marking (counted clockwise from the top) is what minute it is. When it goes all the way around once, an hour has passed and the hour hand has moved on to a new number (or large marking).
The long, thin, fast-moving hand is the second hand. It also uses all sixty markings, but as seconds. When it goes all the way around once, a minute has passed, and the minute hand has moved on to a new marking.

It can be a bit hard to understand, my sister has been having a bit of trouble with it too. For me I often enjoy seeing time pass by so I like being able to see all the hands. Maybe this will help a bit.

I understood analog long before I could read digital. Maybe because the analog is more visual. It shows time as a physical distance (to an extent) rather than as an abstract number.