unterdessen
Translation
meanwhile, in the meantime
Examples
Er kochte. Unterdessen deckte sie den Tisch.
He was cooking. Meanwhile, she set the table.
Unterdessen hatte sich die Lage völlig geändert.
In the meantime, the situation had changed completely.
Grammar Patterns
((main clause)) introduces a main clause, causing inversion He went shopping; unterdessen she tidied up.
Similar Words
Synonyms: inzwischen, währenddessen
Etymology
From 'unter' (among, under) + 'dessen' (of that). Literally 'among that (time)'.
Memory Tips
Imagine one action is happening, and 'under' that, another action is taking place.