meanwhile / while
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meanwhile
In the meantime; meanwhile. Refers to a period of time during which something else is happening.
Ich koche das Abendessen, du kannst derweil schon mal den Tisch decken.
I'll cook dinner; meanwhile, you can go ahead and set the table.
while
Introduces a subordinate clause and means 'while'. It expresses simultaneity and is used more in written language.
Derweil die einen ausgelassen feierten, mussten die anderen hart arbeiten.
While some were celebrating exuberantly, the others had to work hard.
'Derweil' can be used as an adverb or as a subordinating conjunction. As an adverb, it often appears at the beginning of a sentence and forces inversion (verb in position 2). As a conjunction, it introduces a subordinate clause and sends the verb to the end of the sentence.
Die Kinder spielen im Garten. Derweil bereite ich das Mittagessen vor.
The children are playing in the garden. Meanwhile, I am preparing lunch.
The word is made up of 'der' and 'Weile' (a span of time). So it literally means 'in the time' or 'during this time'.
Du kannst den Fernseher reparieren, ich lese derweil die Zeitung.
You can repair the television; meanwhile, I'll read the newspaper.
'Derweil' belongs more to written language or an elevated style. It is used less often in everyday colloquial speech.
Der Minister verhandelte in Brüssel, derweil im Inland die Proteste wuchsen.
The minister was negotiating in Brussels, while protests were growing at home.
during / while
„Während“ and „derweil“ can introduce a subordinate clause describing events that happen at the same time. „Während“ is the neutral conjunction used in everyday speech, while „derweil“ sounds noticeably more literary in this function. In a normal conversation, „während“ is usually the better fit; in a written text, „derweil“ may be appropriate.
Derweil ich die Küche aufräumte, spielte mein Bruder im Garten.
While I was tidying up the kitchen, my brother was playing in the garden.
Während ich die Küche aufräumte, spielte mein Bruder im Garten.
While I was tidying up the kitchen, my brother was playing in the garden.
