Expressing at the same time in Spanish is essential to communicate effectively simultaneous actions or events. Spanish offers several phrases and expressions that convey this sense of simultaneity. In this article, we’ll just cover two of them that will allow you to talk about actions or events that occur simultaneously. Let’s take a look!

At the Same Time in Spanish

There are many phrases to express simultaneity in Spanish. You may know, al mismo tiempo, which directly translates to at the same time, a la vez or simultáneamente. All of them convey the notion of things happening simultaneously. Today we are going to learn how to use al and mientras to express at the same time in Spanish.

Al + Infinitive

Al + infinitive is used when an action immediately follows another action. It means upon, on, or when + verb.

Remember that the infinitive is used differently in Spanish than it is in English. Therefore the translation into English is often a gerund (verb ending in -ing), which might seem confusing to English speakers.

Al verla llorar, le pregunté qué le pasaba.

When I saw her crying, I asked her what the matter was.

Al salir del restaurante, tuve frío y me puse la chaqueta.

Upon leaving the restaurant, I got cold and put my jacket on.

Al terminar la clase, me reuní con mis compañeros en la cafetería.

When I finished the class, I got together with my classmates at the coffee shop.

Al no + Infinitive

If the word no is placed before the infinitive, the meaning of the sentence changes a little to mean because or since.

Al no encontrar a mi hijo en casa, comencé a preocuparme.

Since I didn’t find my son at home, I started to get worried.

Al no sacar la nota necesaria, no pudo entrar a ese colegio.

Because she didn’t get the necessary grade, she couldn’t enter that school.

Al no gustarme la poesía, solo había leído los cuentos de Borges. Él escribió también ensayos, pero ninguna novela.

Since I don’t like poetry, I would only read short stories by Borges. He also wrote essays, but no novel.

Mientras + Indicative

Mientras is an adverb that means while and can also express simultaneous actions or events. This shows that both actions are occurring at the same time in Spanish.

Carlos riega las plantas mientras yo corto el césped.

Carlos waters the plants while I mow the lawn.

Por la mañana, desayuno mientras escucho las noticias.

In the morning, I have breakfast while I listen to the news.

Mientras hago los deberes, escucho música clásica.

While I do my homework, I listen to classical music.

When using mientras to speak of the past, mientras often uses the Imperfecto for an ongoing action (was/were verb + ing) and the Pretérito Indefinido is used to interrupt it.

Mientras caminábamos por la avenida, vimos el choque.

As we were walking down the avenue, we saw the crash.

Mientras el camarero limpiaba la mesa, vio un billetero que alguien había olvidado sobre una silla.

While the waiter was clearing the table, he saw a wallet someone had left on a chair.

Mientras me estaba duchando, oí un fuerte ruido escaleras abajo. Tuve mucho miedo, puesto que estaba solo en casa.

While I was taking a shower, I heard a loud noise downstairs. I was very frightened, because I was alone in the house.

Exercises

In our blog, you can review more linkers or connectors. Now let’s practice how to express at the same time in Spanish with the following exercises.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

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Linkers and Connectors