Ask a Question

(Create a thread)
Go Back   Spanish language learning forums > Spanish & English Languages > Vocabulary > Idioms & Sayings
Reload this Page Entretanto...
Help/FAQ Members List Social Groups Calendar Mark Forums Read

Entretanto...

 

An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not readily apparent based on the individual words in the expression. This forum is dedicated to discussing idioms and other sayings.

 
 
Thread Tools
  #1
Old July 29, 2008, 05:43 AM
Jane's Avatar
Jane Jane is offline
Emerald
  
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Spain
Posts: 727
Native Language: English
Jane will become famous soon enough
Entretanto...
Are these two words interchangable; entretanto and mientras?
__________________
Life´s Beautiful !
It gets even better!!!
Jane.
Last edited by Jane; July 29, 2008 at 06:15 AM.
   
Get rid of these ads by registering for a free Tomísimo account.
  #2
Old July 29, 2008, 06:54 AM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
  
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,402
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
Entretanto and mientras tanto are interchangeable.
They both mean meanwhile or in the meantime.

Mientras, by itself, means while.
  #3
Old July 29, 2008, 06:40 PM
Jane's Avatar
Jane Jane is offline
Emerald
  
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Spain
Posts: 727
Native Language: English
Jane will become famous soon enough
Can you also say, por ahora in the same context? I know this literally mean for now.
__________________
Life´s Beautiful !
It gets even better!!!
Jane.
  #4
Old July 29, 2008, 06:47 PM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
  
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,402
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
Por ahora means for the time being.
  #5
Old July 29, 2008, 06:48 PM
Jane's Avatar
Jane Jane is offline
Emerald
  
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Spain
Posts: 727
Native Language: English
Jane will become famous soon enough
You´re right, Rusty.
Thanks.
__________________
Life´s Beautiful !
It gets even better!!!
Jane.
  #6
Old July 31, 2008, 02:06 AM
Alfonso Alfonso is offline
Filósofo y Poeta
  
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,239
Alfonso will become famous soon enough
  • Estuve leyendo mientras esperaba.
  • ¿Qué haremos mientras / entre tanto?
  • Por ahora no sé nada.
Jane, Rusty, this question is not easy. Mientras and entre tanto / entretanto mean the same, but they are used differently. It's again, a question of placement. It's common to use mientras in the middle or at the end of a sentence, but I don't think it is common to use entre tanto in the middle of a sentence:
  • Estaré aquí mientras.
  • Estaré aquí mientras llegas.
  • Estaré aquí entre tanto.
  • Estaré aquí entre tanto llegas. (it's OK, but it sounds a little odd).
Anyway, I would like to check this with other native Spanish speakers, as this can only be my way of talking.
__________________
I welcome all corrections to my English.
Salu2 desde Madrid,
Alfonso
  #7
Old July 31, 2008, 08:24 AM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
  
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,402
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
Yeah, that last sentence sounds strange to me, too. Tienes razón.
  #8
Old July 31, 2008, 10:31 AM
sosia's Avatar
sosia sosia is offline
Ankh-Morpork's citizen
  
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: a 55 cm del monitor
Posts: 2,984
Native Language: Spanish (Spain)
sosia has a spectacular aura aboutsosia has a spectacular aura about
Voy a hacer un pastel mientras se calienta el horno
Voy a hacer un pastel, entretanto, se calienta el horno.
Yes, it's curious, I was "forced" to use ","
I will respond later
  #9
Old July 31, 2008, 11:11 AM
CrOtALiTo's Avatar
CrOtALiTo CrOtALiTo is offline
Diamond
  
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Mérida, Yucatán
Posts: 11,686
Native Language: I can understand Spanish and English
CrOtALiTo is on a distinguished road
Send a message via Yahoo to CrOtALiTo
Voy a la cama mientras tanto tu prepraras la cena.

Voy a caminar mientras tanto tu me esperas en la casa.

Yo vine al mi cita, mientras tanto tu sigues esperando una cita.


I hope my examples can help you, meanwhile, can you study more about this thread, and later you'll can to say more examples with the use of meanwhile.
__________________
We are building the most important dare for my life and my family feature now we are installing new services in telecoms.
  #10
Old July 31, 2008, 04:24 PM
Jane's Avatar
Jane Jane is offline
Emerald
  
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Spain
Posts: 727
Native Language: English
Jane will become famous soon enough
Se puede decir, mientras tanto, tambien con el mismo sentido como mientras?
__________________
Life´s Beautiful !
It gets even better!!!
Jane.
  #11
Old July 31, 2008, 04:28 PM
Alfonso Alfonso is offline
Filósofo y Poeta
  
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,239
Alfonso will become famous soon enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jane View Post
¿Se puede decir mientras tanto () con el mismo sentido que mientras?
Se puede, se puede...:
¿Qué hacemos mientras?
¿Qué hacemos mientras tanto?

Mientras tanto es algo más enfático, como si durase más la espera...
__________________
I welcome all corrections to my English.
Salu2 desde Madrid,
Alfonso
  #12
Old August 05, 2008, 06:05 PM
Jane's Avatar
Jane Jane is offline
Emerald
  
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Spain
Posts: 727
Native Language: English
Jane will become famous soon enough
Gracias a todos.
__________________
Life´s Beautiful !
It gets even better!!!
Jane.
 

Link to this thread
URL: 
HTML Link: 
BB Code: 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Site Rules


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:37 PM.

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

Contact Us - Tomisimo Home - Archive - Terms of Service - Top
X