meantime
Loading your saved state.
meantime
The period of time that lies between two specific events or points in time. It is almost always used in the expression 'in der Zwischenzeit' (in the meantime).
Mein Flug geht erst in drei Stunden; in der Zwischenzeit trinke ich noch einen Kaffee.
My flight doesn't leave for another three hours; in the meantime, I'll have a coffee.
The word is very logically built: it consists of 'zwischen' (between) and 'Zeit' (time). So it literally describes the time that lies between two other points in time or events.
Der Zug hat eine Stunde Verspätung. Was machen wir in der Zwischenzeit?
The train is an hour late. What should we do in the meantime?
This noun is used almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'in der Zwischenzeit' (in the meantime). It then works like an adverb that can introduce a whole sentence.
Die Wäsche trocknet. In der Zwischenzeit können wir den Abwasch machen.
The laundry is drying. In the meantime, we can do the dishes.
When the expression 'In der Zwischenzeit' (in the meantime) stands at the beginning of the sentence (position 1), the conjugated verb moves to position 2. This is called inversion.
In der Zwischenzeit hat meine Mutter schon das Essen gekocht.
In the meantime, my mother has already cooked the meal.
waiting time / waiting period
Both words can refer to the time between an application and a decision. “Die Zwischenzeit” describes only the time gap between two events, while “die Wartezeit” emphasizes the affected person's waiting. Use Wartezeit when someone is waiting for a result or a service.
In der Zwischenzeit zwischen Antrag und Entscheidung sammelte sie alle nötigen Unterlagen.
In the meantime, between submitting her application and receiving a decision, she gathered all the necessary documents.
Die Wartezeit auf die Entscheidung dauerte wegen vieler Anträge mehrere Wochen.
The waiting time for the decision lasted several weeks because of the large number of applications.
