Learn Dutch: Hij komt precies één minuut voor de afspraak. - He comes exactly one minute before the appointment.

The accent marks show that it means the number 'one' rather than the word 'a' or 'an'. In Dutch, een without accents means 'a', while één means exactly '1'.

Does voor mean 'for' or 'before' here?

Here it means 'before'. Just like in the time expressions you are learning, such as kwart voor twee (a quarter to two), voor is used to say 'before' a certain time or event. In other contexts, it can also mean 'for'.

Can afspraak also mean 'agreement'?

Yes! Afspraak can mean both 'appointment' and 'agreement'. You have to use the context to figure out which one it is. Since someone is physically arriving early for it here, it has to mean 'appointment' or 'meeting'.

What happens to minuut if he is five minutes early?

If it is more than one minute, you use the plural form minuten. For example, vijf minuten voor de afspraak.