The meaning of 'in' in "You don't have to solve the problem in 5 minutes."

I know 'in + a timespan' always means 'after the timespan' when used in a sentence like "Can we meet in 2 hours?" But the sentence above got me wondering if the 'after the timespan' thing also applies here too.

What do I mean if I say the sentence above? Is there any ambiguity? and if there is, what are those?

If I want to mean "You don't have to solve the problem within 5 minutes. (Don't rush yourself.)", what's the most common and/or efficient way of saying it?

Answers

Kristopher_Hubisz

9 Apr 2020

English (US)

It seems as though you understand the sentence well. In common English the meaning is understood as “within”. There is no ambiguity that I can think of except that the tone of voice used could make the sentence either sarcastic or reassuring.

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MoreToThePoint

9 Apr 2020

Korean

@Kristopher_Hubisz Thank you so much! That really helps! Can I ask more questions? (I thought that was the only thing I wondered but other related questions start to come up in my head and confuse me about things that I thought I knew.)

"You have to solve the problem in 5 minutes."
(Would this sentence have gotten the same answer if I had asked the original question with it?)

And
What about
"You have to solve the problem in 5 days."
"You don't have to solve the problem in 5 days."

and this?
"You don't have to go to work in 5 days."
"You have to go to work in 5 days."

What does each of them mean? 😃

Daviscup

9 Apr 2020

English (US)
English (UK)

- "You have to solve the problem in 5 minutes". What it means here is that the task at hand must be finished within 5 minutes.

- "You have to solve the problem in 5 days". This is the same question stated before, but with a longer timeframe than 5 minutes. This means you must finish the problem in 5 days, not after.

- "You have to go to work in 5 days". This is the same question as the two examples stated before. Just with a different context. (I'm assuming the other two are based in a school setting).

- "You don't have to solve this problem in 5 days".
- "You don't have to go to work in 5 days".

- These two sentences here are the removal of an obligation. This means it is NOT necessary to go into work in 5 days or finish the problem in the time given. It is entirely up to you.

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Mia26099

10 Apr 2020

English (US)

you're correct, "lets meet in 2 hours" means "lets me after 2 hours has past". Whereas "you don't have to solve it in 5 minutes" means "within" 5 minutes. and as you said, implies you don't have to rush to solve the problem. in the 2nd instance you don't have to say "within" the meaning is clear enough. but if you said "lets meet within 2hrs" it would mean you would want to meet now not after 2hours- the meaning would have changed

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MoreToThePoint

10 Apr 2020

Korean

@Daviscup Thank you so much for the help!

MoreToThePoint

10 Apr 2020

Korean

@Mia26099 Thank you so much for the insights! I always love one-step further explanations. To be honest, I've been and still stuck trying to understand what exactly makes the distinction between the sentences where 'in' is interpreted as 'after' and the sentences where it's interpreted as 'within'. Also been doing research myself on the internet aside from this community but still in the dark and it seems it's going to be that way for a while. But I'm sure your answer will contribute to the moment of my understanding. Thank you again!