Example: Ik eet mijn lunch en ondertussen lees ik een boek.
Definition
"Ondertussen" is an adverb meaning during the same time or meanwhile, used to describe an action that happens simultaneously with another. For example, in "Ik eet mijn lunch en ondertussen lees ik een boek," it indicates reading a book while eating lunch.
The Dutch word "ondertussen" combines "onder" (under) and "tussen" (between), originally suggesting something happening in the space or time between events. Did you know it evolved to express simultaneous actions, much like the English 'meanwhile'?
Learn to use this expression actively
"Ondertussen" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (B1) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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