Spanish Conversation · Level 8
90 words
Spanish word
mientras
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈmjentɾas/
Meaning
- conjunctionwhile
Example
Yo cocino mientras tú pones la mesa.
I cook while you set the table.
More examples
Ella lee mientras escucha música.
She reads while listening to music.
Core concept
One action happening inside the time span of another.
Common phrases
mientras que
whereas
mientras tanto
meanwhile
Similar words
cuando: An event happens at a specific point in time.
mientras que: Two clauses are presented to show a contrast between situations.
a la vez que: Two actions occur at the same time.
Definition in Spanish
Introduce una oración subordinada para expresar simultaneidad: una acción se desarrolla mientras sucede otra.
Word origin
Derived from medieval Spanish mientres and traced to Vulgar Latin *mentre, the word came to mark that one event takes place during the span of another.
Usage tips
- With real, ongoing simultaneity Spanish usually uses the indicative after mientras, while the subjunctive can appear when the meaning shifts toward 'as long as' or 'provided that'.
Other meanings
- whereasconjunction
- meanwhileadverb