meanwhile / however
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meanwhile
In the meantime or meanwhile; refers to a period during which something else is happening. The word is more common in written language and is often replaced today by „inzwischen“ (in the meantime) or „unterdessen“ (meanwhile).
Er suchte weiter nach dem Schlüssel, indes warteten die anderen vor der Tür.
He continued looking for the key; meanwhile, the others waited outside the door.
however
However or nevertheless; introduces a limitation or contrast. This use is elevated and mainly found in written language.
Der Plan klingt überzeugend, indes fehlen noch wichtige Einzelheiten.
The plan sounds convincing; however, important details are still missing.
As an adverb, „indes“ (meanwhile/however) can appear at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle. At the beginning of a sentence, the conjugated verb follows „indes“ directly; in the middle of a sentence, „indes“ often comes after the conjugated verb and the subject.
Indes blieb die Finanzierung ungeklärt.
Meanwhile, the financing remained unresolved.
Die Finanzierung blieb indes ungeklärt.
The financing remained unresolved, however.
Two parallel actions, often involving different people, point to the temporal meaning of „indes“ (meanwhile). If a problem or limitation follows a positive statement, the contrasting meaning is usually intended; the word order alone does not show the difference.
Die Eltern bereiteten das Abendessen vor; die Kinder spielten indes im Garten.
The parents prepared dinner; meanwhile, the children played in the garden.
Das Haus ist schön; der Preis liegt indes weit über unserem Budget.
The house is beautiful; however, the price is far beyond our budget.
In factual texts, „indes“ (however) often appears in expressions such as „bleibt indes offen“ (remains open, however), „ist indes unklar“ (is unclear, however), or „steht indes noch aus“ (is still pending, however). These patterns can be used to point to an unresolved question or a missing result after presenting information.
Die Gespräche sind abgeschlossen; eine endgültige Entscheidung steht indes noch aus.
The talks have concluded; however, a final decision is still pending.
