meanwhile
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meanwhile
In the meantime; meanwhile. The adverb expresses that something happens at the same time as another previously mentioned action.
Ich bereitete das Abendessen vor; die Kinder spielten unterdessen im Garten.
I prepared dinner; meanwhile, the children played in the garden.
'Unterdessen' (meanwhile) can stand in position 1 or inside the sentence. If it stands in position 1, the conjugated verb follows immediately (inversion). Inside the sentence, it usually stands after the verb and the subject.
Unterdessen hatte der Regen aufgehört.
Meanwhile, the rain had stopped.
The word is made up of the preposition 'unter' (under/during) and the genitive pronoun 'dessen' (of that/whose). It describes an action that takes place 'unter' or 'während' (during/while) another one is happening.
Er las die Zeitung. Unterdessen kochte seine Frau das Mittagessen.
He read the newspaper. Meanwhile, his wife cooked lunch.
'Unterdessen' (meanwhile) is often used in written language, for example in narratives or reports, to express simultaneity. It sounds somewhat more formal than other expressions.
Die Politiker verhandelten. Unterdessen wartete die Presse auf eine Erklärung.
The politicians were negotiating. Meanwhile, the press waited for a statement.
simultaneously / at the same time
'gleichzeitig' and 'unterdessen' both describe that something happens at the same time. 'gleichzeitig' directly emphasizes the same moment or a parallel action. 'unterdessen' means 'in the meantime' or 'meanwhile' and usually refers to another action that was mentioned before. It sounds a bit more narrative and works well when two scenes are described side by side. They can be confused because both express simultaneity. But 'unterdessen' usually needs a clear reference: while one thing is happening, something else is happening meanwhile.
Herr Fischer liest im Bus die Vokabeln, unterdessen fährt die Stadt langsam vorbei.
Mr. Fischer reads the vocabulary on the bus; meanwhile, the city slowly passes by.
Ihr könnt nicht gleichzeitig sprechen, sonst versteht euch niemand.
You can't all speak at the same time, or no one will understand you.