medan

While

Level 2

medan is a conjunction that means 'while' or 'whereas'. It links two clauses to show that their actions are happening at the same time or to present a contrast between them.

How It Works

medan is a versatile subjunction essential for creating more complex sentences. Let's break down its uses and the grammar involved.

1. Simultaneous Actions (while)
This is the most common use of medan. It connects a main clause and a subordinate clause to show that two actions are occurring concurrently.

  • Jag läser tidningen medan du lagar frukost. (I read the newspaper while you make breakfast.)

Here, 'reading' and 'making breakfast' are happening at the same time.

2. Contrast (whereas)
medan can also be used to draw a contrast between two facts or ideas. In this context, it functions like the English word 'whereas'.

  • Katter är självständiga, medan hundar ofta är mer sociala. (Cats are independent, whereas dogs are often more social.)

This sentence contrasts the nature of cats and dogs.

Word Order
Since medan introduces a subordinate clause, the word order within that clause is important. It follows the BIFF rule, which places sentence adverbs (like inte, alltid, ofta) before the finite verb.

  • Han lyssnar på musik medan han inte gör något viktigt. (He listens to music while he is not doing anything important.)

Sentence Structure
When the subordinate clause with medan comes first in the sentence, the main clause that follows must start with its verb. This is an example of the verb-second (V2) rule.

  • Medan jag jobbade, sov katten. (While I worked, the cat slept.)

Notice the verb 'sov' comes immediately after the comma.

The durations need not match: Telefonen ringde medan jag lagade mat places a short event inside the cooking interval. Contrastive medan can even compare different times: Hon vann i år, medan han vann i fjol.

Examples (4)

  1. Jag lagar mat medan du diskar.

    I'm cooking while you're doing the dishes.

    Word by Word: I cook food while you do-dishes.

    This shows two actions happening at the same time.

  2. Medan barnen lekte, läste föräldrarna böcker.

    While the children played, the parents read books.

    Word by Word: While the-children played, read the-parents books.

    Here, the 'medan' clause comes first, so the main clause starts with the verb 'läste' (V2 inversion).

  3. Min bror älskar vintern, medan jag föredrar sommaren.

    My brother loves winter, whereas I prefer summer.

    Word by Word: My brother loves the-winter, while I prefer the-summer.

    This example uses 'medan' to show a contrast in preferences.

  4. Kan du hålla ett öga på soppan medan jag svarar i telefon?

    Can you keep an eye on the soup while I answer the phone?

    Word by Word: Can you hold an eye on the-soup while I answer in phone?

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting V2 inversion when the 'medan' clause starts the sentence.

    Medan jag studerade, min vän tittade på film.
    Medan jag studerade, tittade min vän på film.

    When a subordinate clause (like 'Medan jag studerade') begins a sentence, it fills the first position. The verb of the main clause ('tittade') must come second.

  • Using main clause word order inside the 'medan' clause.

    Hon lyssnade på en podd medan hon promenerade inte.
    Hon lyssnade på en podd medan hon inte promenerade.

    The 'medan' clause is a subordinate clause, so it follows the BIFF rule. The adverb 'inte' must come before the verb 'promenerade'.

How It Connects

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

medanLevel 2While

Learn This First

To use 'medan' (while), you need to be comfortable with basic Swedish word order and verb conjugation, as this pattern involves linking two separate actions that occur at the same time. Familiarity with other temporal conjunctions like 'när' provides a helpful foundation for understanding how these clauses function.

Words in This Pattern

medan