"then (in that case; at that time)" in seven languages
Meaningthen (in that case; at that time)
Spanish
/enˈtonθes/
inherited
IN + TUNC with an adverbial -s; Old Spanish also estonces.
French
/alɔʁ/
other source · à + lors 'then' (Latin ILLĀ HŌRĀ 'at that hour')
Italian
/alˈlora/
other source · Latin AD ILLAM HŌRAM 'at that hour'
Portuguese
/ẽˈtɐ̃w/
inherited
IN + TUNC, like Spanish entonces.
Romanian
/aˈtuntʃʲ/
inherited
AD + TUNC.
Catalan
/ələˈzɔɾəs/
other source · a les hores 'at the hours' (Latin HŌRĀS)
Llavors is just as common.
English
/ðɛn/
native English · Old English þanne
Then and than were once the same word.
The Latin ancestor
TUNC‘then, at that time’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish entonces keeps Latin TUNC 'then' inside a stack of prepositions. French and Italian say 'at that hour' (alors, allora), the partner of 'at this hour', ahora / ora.
Learn it
In a sentence
- esSi llueve, entonces nos quedamos en casa.
- frS'il pleut, alors on reste à la maison.
- itSe piove, allora restiamo a casa.
- ptSe chover, então a gente fica em casa.
- roDacă plouă, atunci rămânem acasă.
- caSi plou, aleshores ens quedem a casa.
- enIf it rains, then we'll stay home.