Иногда лучше промолчать минуту, чем ответить слишком резко.

Лучше is the comparative form of хорошо/хороший and means better.

In this sentence, Russian uses an impersonal pattern:

лучше + infinitive = it is better to ...

So:

• лучше промолчать минуту = it is better to keep silent for a minute

There is no explicit subject like it in Russian here. That is very normal.

Because after лучше in this kind of structure, Russian commonly uses infinitives to talk about what action is preferable.

So the pattern is:

• лучше + infinitive, чем + infinitive

In this sentence:

• лучше промолчать минуту = better to stay silent for a minute
• чем ответить слишком резко = than to answer too sharply

This is very similar to English better to do X than to do Y.

This is mainly a question of aspect and nuance.

• молчать = imperfective, to be silent / to keep silent
• промолчать = perfective, to remain silent / to say nothing in a specific instance

Here промолчать fits because the sentence talks about one complete action in one situation: choosing not to say anything for a moment.

So:

• молчать минуту = to be silent for a minute
• промолчать минуту = to keep silent for a minute, successfully not saying anything during that time

The perfective form often sounds more natural when talking about a single completed choice or reaction.

Because Russian often uses the accusative case to express duration of time.

So:

• минуту = for a minute
• час / часа / часов can also work this way depending on the number

In this sentence:

• промолчать минуту = to stay silent for a minute

This is a very common pattern:

• подождать минуту = wait a minute
• работать весь день = work all day
• спать всю ночь = sleep all night

Yes, but the nuance changes a little.

• промолчать минуту = be silent for a minute; duration is stated directly
• промолчать на минуту = become silent for a minute / for the space of a minute; slightly more like a temporary pause

In many contexts both are understandable, but минуту is very natural for simple duration.

Чем is used in comparisons after comparatives like лучше.

The pattern is:

• лучше ..., чем ... = better ... than ...

So here:

• лучше промолчать минуту, чем ответить слишком резко
• better to stay silent for a minute than to answer too sharply

This is one of the standard uses of чем.

Because чем ответить слишком резко functions as the second part of the comparison, and in Russian this is normally separated by a comma after лучше-type comparative constructions.

So the punctuation in:

• Иногда лучше промолчать минуту, чем ответить слишком резко.

is standard.

Because the sentence refers to a single reply in a specific situation.

• ответить = perfective, to give a reply, one completed response
• отвечать = imperfective, to answer / be answering / answer habitually

Here the idea is:

• sometimes it is better to stay silent for a moment than to give one overly sharp reply

So ответить is the natural choice.

Because резко is an adverb, and it describes how someone answers.

• резкий = adjective, sharp / harsh
• резко = adverb, sharply / harshly

Since it modifies the verb ответить, Russian needs the adverb:

• ответить резко = to answer sharply

Compare:

• резкий ответ = a sharp reply
• ответить резко = to reply sharply

Слишком means too or overly, and резко means sharply / harshly.

So:

• слишком резко = too sharply, too harshly, more harshly than is appropriate

It suggests that the reply may be emotionally excessive, rude, or stronger than necessary.

Yes, Russian word order is flexible, though the original sentence is very natural.

Original:

• Иногда лучше промолчать минуту, чем ответить слишком резко.

Possible variations include:

• Лучше иногда промолчать минуту, чем ответить слишком резко.
• Иногда минуту лучше промолчать, чем ответить слишком резко.

The differences are mostly about emphasis:

• Иногда at the beginning highlights sometimes
• placing минуту earlier can emphasize the short duration
• the original version sounds balanced and idiomatic

Usually sometimes.

• Иногда = sometimes, at times, occasionally

In this sentence, sometimes is the most straightforward choice. It introduces a general life observation rather than one specific event.

Yes, and it would still be natural, but the nuance shifts slightly.

• помолчать = to be silent for a while
• промолчать = to remain silent / say nothing in a given situation

In this sentence:

• помолчать минуту focuses a bit more on the short period of silence itself
• промолчать минуту can suggest consciously holding back a reply

Both work, but промолчать fits especially well when the contrast is with ответить.

Yes, in the sense that there is no explicit subject.

Russian often expresses general advice or judgments without saying it or naming a person:

• Иногда лучше промолчать минуту...

Literally, it is something like:

• Sometimes better to stay silent for a minute...

English requires it is, but Russian does not. This kind of subjectless statement is very common in proverbs, advice, and general observations.