"whereas (contrast)" in seven languages
Meaningwhereas (contrast)
Spanish
/ˈmjentɾas ke/
inherited
Mientras alone means 'while' in time.
French
/tɑ̃di kə/
other source · Old French tandis 'meanwhile' ← Latin TAMDIŪ 'so long'
Alors que is just as common.
Italian
/ˈmentre/
inherited
Also 'while' in time: mentre mangio.
Portuguese
/ẽˈkwɐ̃tu/
other source · Latin IN QUANTUM 'in so far as'
Romanian
/ɨn timp tʃe/
other source · Romanian 'in the time that' (timp ← Latin TEMPUS)
Iar 'and, while' does the same job in a lighter way: el iubește marea, iar ea muntele.
Catalan
/ˈmentɾə kə/
inherited
English
/wɛɹˈæz/
native English · Middle English where + as
The Latin ancestor
DUM INTERIM‘while, meanwhile’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish mientras and Italian mentre are worn-down forms of DUM INTERIM (Old Spanish demientre, Old Italian domentre); French chose TAMDIŪ 'so long'. All three began as 'while' and stretched to contrast, like English while.
Learn it
In a sentence
- esA él le encanta el mar, mientras que ella prefiere la montaña.
- frIl adore la mer, tandis qu'elle préfère la montagne.
- itLui adora il mare, mentre lei preferisce la montagna.
- ptEle adora o mar, enquanto ela prefere a montanha.
- roLui îi place marea, în timp ce ea preferă munții.
- caA ell li encanta el mar, mentre que ella prefereix la muntanya.
- enHe loves the sea, whereas she prefers the mountains.