How to say “while”: Italian grammar lesson 105

Mentre vs durante: Meaning

Do you know how to say “while” in Italian? How about how to use “mentre“?

In Italian, we have two main words to talk about actions that happen at the same time: the conjunction mentre (while) and the preposition durante (during).

These words express contemporaneity and are used to describe events that take place simultaneously.

Mentre vs durante: Explained

Mentre is a conjunction, and it can be used to describe simultaneous events that happen in the present, past, or future.

Mentre always links two clauses, and it usually appears before a verb.

Mentre + verb

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Mentre cammino mi piace fischiettare.

I like to whistle while I walk.

Ti aspetto qui mentre vai in banca.

I’ll wait for you here while you go to the bank.

Durante is a preposition used to indicate that something is happening at the same time as an event.

It is not used to link two clauses, but it usually precedes a noun or pronoun (the event) to state that something is happening simultaneously to that event.

Durante + noun

Mentre: Another meaning

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Be careful though!

Sometimes mentre can have a different meaning. This conjunction is also widely used with a connotation of contrast.

Have a look at the examples below; they have nothing to do with time and contemporaneity!

In this case, mentre has a similar meaning to the conjunctions invece (instead) or ma (but), expressing contrast.

Mentre vs durante: Examples

Have a look at these examples of the use of mentre and durante (careful, the last one is not about two simultaneous actions!)

Mentre vs durante: what to remember?

We have two main words in Italian to talk about things that are happening at the same time: the conjunction mentre (while) and the preposition durante (during).

These words can be used to describe events that occur together.

Mentre is a conjunction, and it is used to explain simultaneous actions that take place in the present, past, or future.

It always connects two clauses, and it usually comes before a verb.

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Durante is a preposition used to show that something is happening alongside an event.

It doesn’t link two clauses, but it usually goes before a noun or pronoun (the event) to illustrate that something is happening at the same time.

Be aware that mentre can also have a different meaning! This conjunction is often used to express contrast, similar to invece (instead) or ma (but). It has nothing to do with time or contemporaneity in this case.

We hope this post helped you understand how to use mentre and durante correctly!

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