mientras
“mientras” means “while” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
while
Also: as long as
📝 In Action
Yo leo mientras tú cocinas.
A2I read while you cook.
A ella le gusta escuchar música mientras corre.
A2She likes to listen to music while she runs.
Puedes quedarte en mi casa mientras busques trabajo.
B1You can stay at my house as long as you're looking for a job.
meanwhile
Also: in the meantime
📝 In Action
Voy a comprar pan. Mientras, tú puedes poner la mesa.
B1I'm going to buy bread. Meanwhile, you can set the table.
El avión despegó. Mientras tanto, en la torre de control, todo estaba tranquilo.
B1The plane took off. Meanwhile, in the control tower, everything was calm.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: mientras
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence best translates to 'I'll wash the dishes; meanwhile, you can dry them'?
📚 More Resources
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Old Spanish 'mientre', which is from the Latin phrase 'dum interim', meaning 'while in the meantime'. You can still see both parts of the original meaning—the 'while' and the 'meantime'—in how we use 'mientras' today.
First recorded: Around the 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'mientras' and 'mientras que'?
'Mientras' usually means two things are happening at the same time ('I sing while I shower'). 'Mientras que' is most often used to show a contrast between two things, like the English word 'whereas' ('He is very tall, whereas his sister is short').
Can I just say 'mientras' instead of 'mientras tanto' for 'meanwhile'?
Yes, sometimes you can, especially in the middle of a sentence. However, starting a sentence with 'Mientras tanto' is a very clear and common way to say 'Meanwhile...' and avoids any confusion with the word's other meaning.