die Weile
while
An undefined, usually shorter period of time.
EXAMPLE
Es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis ich die Antwort gefunden habe.
It took a while before I found the answer.
die Weile
while
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
'Weile' (while) is the core of words like 'Langeweile' (boredom, literally: long while) or the adjective 'kurzweilig' (entertaining, literally: lasting a short while). The adverb 'mittlerweile' (meanwhile / by now) also contains this word.
EXAMPLE
Der Film war so kurzweilig, dass die Zeit wie im Flug verging.
The film was so entertaining that the time flew by.
Typical collocations
The word 'Weile' (while) is almost always used in fixed combinations with prepositions. The most common are 'eine Weile' (a while), 'für eine Weile' (for a while), and 'nach einer Weile' (after a while).
EXAMPLE
Kannst du für eine Weile auf meine Tasche aufpassen?
Can you watch my bag for a while?
Use with verbs
'eine Weile' (a while) is often combined with verbs that describe a duration of time. Typical phrases are 'es dauert eine Weile' (it takes a while), 'eine Weile warten' (to wait a while), or 'eine Weile bleiben' (to stay a while).
EXAMPLE
Ich muss noch eine Weile auf meinen Freund warten.
I still have to wait a while for my friend.
Compare with
Weile vs Zeit
time
Zeit and Weile can both refer to a limited period of time. Weile can be used without specifying the exact length. With Zeit, you normally need an expression such as „kurze Zeit“ or the phrase „eine Zeit lang“ for this meaning.
Weile
Ich bleibe noch eine Weile bei dir.
I will stay with you for a while longer.
Zeit
Ich bleibe noch eine kurze Zeit bei dir.
I will stay with you for a short while longer.
In real life
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