ondertussen
meanwhile / in the meantime
/ˌɔndərˈtʏsə(n)/adverb
Word forms
- invariable: ondertussen (no inflected forms)
- synonym: intussen (meanwhile)
- synonym: inmiddels (by now, meanwhile)
How it is spelled and how it sounds
Double consonant 'ss' keeps the preceding vowel 'u' short (/ʏ/), while the unstressed endings '-er' and '-en' reduce to schwa (/ə/).
intussenmeanwhilekussenpillow / to kissonderzoekento investigate
In connected speech
In natural speech, the final '-n' is usually dropped, and the internal '/d/' following '/n/' may weaken, making it sound closer to [ˌɔnərˈtʏsə].
In the lessons (1 sentence)
s2-les-10 · 47Ondertussen kijkt Xing stiekem naar Gianluca en Marieke vanuit haar slaapkamer.Meanwhile Xing secretly watches Gianluca and Marieke from her bedroom.Open in lesson ↗
In the frequency dictionary
Core #569
Marked known.