mientras
Spanish, conjunction/ˈmjentɾas/
mientras is spelled M-I-E-N-T-R-A-S (8 letters) and appears 468 times per million words in written Spanish, the 175th most frequent Spanish word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Mientras is a Spanish conjunction meaning “while, whilst, as (at the same time as)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) defines it as “Cuando, en el tiempo, en la ocasión o coyuntura que”.
What does mientras mean in English?
adverb
- 1
meanwhile
conjunction
- 1
while, whilst, as (at the same time as)
Quédate aquí con los chicos mientras hablo con la gerente.
- 2
as long as, so long as (expressing a condition)
Mientras llueva, me quedaré en casa.
- 3
however much, however many, “the..., the...” (constructing parallel comparatives)
Mientras más lo hago, más me gusta.
- 4
while, whereas (indicating difference)
Source: English Wiktionary, Spanish section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How Spanish dictionaries define it
adverb: 1. Entre tanto, en tanto o entre tanto que.
conjunction: 1. Cuando, en el tiempo, en la ocasión o coyuntura que.
The definition in the Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), in Spanish.
Source: Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of mientras
- mientre alternative obsolete
- mientra alternative obsolete
Source: English Wiktionary and Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce mientras?
- /ˈmjentɾas/
- [ˈmjẽn̪.t̪ɾas]
- [ˈmjẽn̪t̪ɾas]
Sources: English Wiktionary, Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
English words that translate to mientras
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is mientras in Spanish?
mientras appears 468 times per million words in written Spanish.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).