Al = mientras?
Hola a todos.
I have learned that when the article "al" is combined with an infinitive verb, it can be used like "while" or "upon ".
For Example:
Al llegar a la casa, yo vi a mis hijos afuera. (Upon arriving home, I saw my kids outside)
Al hacer la tarea, Anna usó una calculadora para calcular las ecuaciones. (While doing the homework, Anna used a calculator to calculate the equations)
So now that I've established this use of "al", can it be used interchangeably with "mientras" (while) or are there certain instances where only one way is acceptable grammatically?
Gracias.
2 Answers
My guess is that mientras cannot be used exactly like al because there is no definite article after mientras. Of course on can say Mientras que... followed by a conjugated verb but not the infinitive. I presume you use the resource linked below, but I'm putting it in anyway in case it will help clarify the issue.
I don't think they are interchangeable any more than ' during' and ' upon' are interchangeable. In English I would say ' Upon my arrival at Glasgow Station I had a cup of coffee. Whilst drinking the coffee I thought about my previous life and loves''
Upon means just as you got there, or just after getting there, whereas , while or whilst means you did something for a little while ( or even for years, example: My sister got married while// during the time that I was in prison).
I think the Spanish works much the same: Al llegar a la estación ferrocarril tomé un café mientras pensaba sobre mi pasado. Mi hermana se casó mientras yo estaba encarcelada .
Pleas note, I've made up these examples myself and I'm only a student, they may be incorrect.
