wärend (While)

While: Wärend

Level 4

Wärend means while. It starts a clause with the verb at the end: Wärend ech kachen, lauschteren ech Musek.

How It Works

1. Two things at the same time
Wärend joins two actions that happen at the same time. The verb of the wärend clause goes to the end, as after other conjunctions:

  • Ech hunn e Buch gelies, wärend d'Kanner geschlof hunn. (I read a book while the children were sleeping.)

2. Wärend clause first
The whole wärend clause counts as the first element, so the main verb comes straight after the comma (subordinate clause first):

  • Wärend ech kachen, lauschteren ech Musek. (While I cook, I listen to music.)
  • Wärend mir am Kino waren, huet et gereent. (While we were at the cinema, it rained.)

3. With du
After wärend, du is written s de or s du, just as after wann (wann s de): Wärend s de waarts, kanns du e Kaffi drénken.

4. Conjunction or preposition?
Wärend can also be a preposition meaning during. Then a noun follows in the dative and there is no verb: wärend der Woch (during the week). See wéinst, trotz and wärend. If a subject and a verb follow, wärend is the conjunction while.

5. Other words for while
Wärenddeems (also wärenddeem) and iwwerdeems are also conjunctions meaning while, with the verb at the end: Iwwerdeems hien d'Zeitung gelies huet, ass en entschlof. (While he was reading the newspaper, he fell asleep.) Wärenddeems can also mean whereas, to contrast two people or things.

A comma always separates the wärend clause from the main clause.

Examples (5)

  1. Wärend ech kachen, lauschteren ech Musek.

    While I cook, I listen to music.

    The wärend clause comes first, so lauschteren follows right after the comma.

  2. Ech hunn e Buch gelies, wärend d'Kanner geschlof hunn.

    I read a book while the children were sleeping.

    The auxiliary hunn goes to the very end of the wärend clause.

  3. Wärend mir am Kino waren, huet et gereent.

    While we were at the cinema, it rained.

  4. Wärend s de waarts, kanns du e Kaffi drénken.

    While you wait, you can have a coffee.

    After wärend, du appears as s de.

  5. Mäi Papp liest d'Zeitung, wärend meng Mamm spadséiere geet.

    My dad reads the newspaper while my mum goes for a walk.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the verb in second place inside the wärend clause.

    Wärend ech kache Spaghetti, lauschteren ech Musek.
    Wärend ech Spaghetti kachen, lauschteren ech Musek.

    Wärend starts a subordinate clause, so kachen moves to the end of that clause.

  • Keeping normal word order in the main clause after a wärend clause.

    Wärend ech kachen, ech lauschtere Musek.
    Wärend ech kachen, lauschteren ech Musek.

    The wärend clause fills the first place, so the verb lauschteren must come right after the comma, before ech.

How It Connects

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

wärend (While)Level 4While: Wärend

Learn This First

Before While: Wärend, learn Because Of, Despite, During.

Words in This Pattern

wärend