mentres non + Subjunctive

Until: Mentres Non

Level 5

Mentres non + subjunctive means until or as long as ... not: Mentres non cheguen os convidados, non comezamos (until the guests arrive, we will not start).

How It Works

Meaning

Literally, mentres non cheguen means while they have not arrived. English usually says until or as long as ... not:

  • Mentres non cheguen os convidados, non comezamos (until the guests arrive, we will not start).
  • Mentres non protestemos, todo seguirá igual (as long as we do not protest, everything will stay the same).

The subjunctive

The event has not happened yet, so it takes the present subjunctive, as with cando for the future. When you report from the past, the sequence of tenses calls for the imperfect subjunctive: Dixo que non asinaría mentres non lle ensinasen o contrato. Never use the future indicative here.

Mentres non and ata que

Ata que points to the end moment: Agarda ata que cheguen. Mentres non focuses on the time before it and often makes the event a condition: nothing changes while it has not happened.

Do not drop non

The non matters. Mentres without it means while, so mentres pare de chover would mean while it stops raining.

Pronouns

Both mentres and non pull an unstressed pronoun before the verb: Mentres non me pagues, non che deixo o coche.

Examples (5)

  1. Mentres non cheguen os convidados, non comezamos.

    Until the guests arrive, we will not start.

  2. Non saias mentres non pare de chover.

    Do not go out until it stops raining.

  3. Mentres non protestemos, todo seguirá igual.

    As long as we do not protest, everything will stay the same.

  4. Mentres non me pagues, non che deixo o coche.

    Until you pay me, I will not lend you the car.

    The pronouns me and che go before their verbs.

  5. Dixo que non asinaría mentres non lle ensinasen o contrato.

    He said he would not sign until they showed him the contract.

    Reported from the past, the verb is in the imperfect subjunctive: ensinasen.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the future indicative after mentres non.

    Mentres non chegarán os convidados, non comezamos.
    Mentres non cheguen os convidados, non comezamos.

    The event is still ahead, so it takes the present subjunctive, never the future.

  • Leaving out non.

    Non saias mentres pare de chover.
    Non saias mentres non pare de chover.

    Without non, the sentence means do not go out while it stops raining.

  • Writing mentras, a Spanish-influenced form.

    Mentras non cheguen os convidados, non comezamos.
    Mentres non cheguen os convidados, non comezamos.

    Mentras mixes in Spanish mientras. The standard Galician form is mentres.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

mentres non + SubjunctiveLevel 5Until: Mentres Non

Learn This First

Mentres non expresses continued non-occurrence up to an anticipated endpoint.

Words in This Pattern

mentres