Pendant que vs pendant
While vs during
Pendant (during) and pendant que (while) look similar but take different things after them.
Pendant + noun: during, for
- Je me suis endormi pendant le film.I fell asleep during the film.
- Il a plu pendant tout le week-end.It rained the whole weekend.
- J'ai travaillé pendant trois heures.I worked for three hours.
Pendant que + clause: while
- J'ai lu pendant que tu conduisais.I read while you were driving.
- Pendant que tu es là, aide-moi.While you're here, help me.
Alors que / tandis que: while (contrast) = whereas
When while means a contrast rather than time, use alors que or tandis que:
- Il est grand alors que son frère est petit.He's tall, whereas his brother is short.
- Elle aime la mer, tandis que je préfère la montagne.
Tandis que can also mean "while" in time, in more formal French.
Durant
Durant is a more formal synonym of pendant: durant la guerre.
Tenses
After pendant que, use the tense the meaning requires. In the past, the background action is usually in the imparfait: Pendant que je dormais, il est parti.
Practice
- I fell asleep during the film.Options: Je me suis endormi pendant le film. · Je me suis endormi pendant que le film.
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Je me suis endormi pendant le film.
- He cooks while I'm working.Options: Il cuisine pendant que je travaille. · Il cuisine pendant je travaille.
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Il cuisine pendant que je travaille.
- She likes the sea, whereas I prefer the mountains.Options: Elle aime la mer, alors que je préfère la montagne. · Elle aime la mer, pendant je préfère la montagne.
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Elle aime la mer, alors que je préfère la montagne.
- Range ta chambre _____ je fais la cuisine.
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pendant que
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.