German word

inzwischen

Pronunciation

IPA/ɪnˈtsvɪʃn̩/

Meaning

  • adverbmeanwhile

Example

Ich koche, inzwischen schläft das Baby.

I'm cooking; meanwhile, the baby is sleeping.

Illustration for inzwischen (meanwhile)

More examples

Inzwischen gibt es viele Apps zum Lernen.

I am cooking; meanwhile, the baby is sleeping.

Core concept

A timeline moves from an earlier situation through an interval to a changed situation that now holds.

Common phrases

  • inzwischen gibt es

    by now there are

Similar words

jetzt: Refers to the present moment or to something happening immediately.
schon: Shows that something has already happened or is already true.
mittlerweile: Shows that a situation now exists after time has passed.
unterdessen: Shows that one event occurs while another event is in progress.

Definition in German

Beschreibt, dass sich etwas im Lauf der Zeit verändert hat und nun ein neuer Zustand besteht.

Word origin

Inzwischen is a compound of in "in" and zwischen "between", with its temporal sense arising from being within the interval between two points.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English "meanwhile", inzwischen can also mark a change that has occurred by the present time.

Other meanings

  • by nowadverb
  • alreadyadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word