How do you use "whilst" in a sentence?

She read a book whilst waiting for the train. Whilst I understand your point, I disagree. He worked on his laptop whilst his colleagues chatted.

whilst

Q: What does "whilst" mean?

While; during the time that; although (British English) Whilst is the British English form of 'while' and is used in the same ways: to mean 'during the time that' (whilst I was sleeping) or 'although/whereas' to show contrast (whilst I agree, I have concerns). It's considered more formal and is much more common in British than American English.

Vocabulary Word BritishAmerican ★★★☆☆ Moderate Neutral

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: While; during the time that; although (British English)

当...的时候；虽然

mientras; aunque

〜している間に；〜だけれども

~하는 동안; ~이긴 하지만

Whilst is the British English form of 'while' and is used in the same ways: to mean 'during the time that' (whilst I was sleeping) or 'although/whereas' to show contrast (whilst I agree, I have concerns). It's considered more formal and is much more common in British than American English.

Whilst是'while'的英式英语形式，使用方式相同：表示'在...期间'（whilst I was sleeping）或'虽然/然而'以表示对比（whilst I agree, I have concerns）。它被认为更正式，在英式英语中比美式英语常见得多。

Whilst es la forma del inglés británico de «while» y se usa de las mismas maneras: para significar «durante el tiempo que» (whilst I was sleeping) o «aunque/mientras que» para mostrar contraste (whilst I agree, I have concerns). Se considera más formal y es mucho más común en inglés británico que americano.

Whilstは「while」のイギリス英語形式で、同じように使われます：「〜している間に」（whilst I was sleeping）または対比を示す「〜だけれども」（whilst I agree, I have concerns）。よりフォーマルとされ、アメリカ英語よりイギリス英語でずっと一般的です。

whilst는 'while'의 영국 영어 형태로 같은 방식으로 사용됩니다: '~하는 동안'(whilst I was sleeping) 또는 대조를 나타내는 '~이긴 하지만'(whilst I agree, I have concerns)의 의미입니다. 더 격식적인 표현으로 간주되며, 미국 영어보다 영국 영어에서 훨씬 더 흔하게 쓰입니다.

Examples

She read a book whilst waiting for the train.
她在等火车的时候看了一本书。
Ella leyó un libro mientras esperaba el tren.
彼女は電車を待っている間、本を読みました。
그녀는 기차를 기다리는 동안 책을 읽었습니다.
Whilst I understand your point, I disagree.
虽然我理解你的观点，但我不同意。
Aunque entiendo tu punto, no estoy de acuerdo.
あなたの意見は理解できますが、私は同意しません。
당신의 의견은 이해하지만, 저는 동의하지 않습니다.
He worked on his laptop whilst his colleagues chatted.
当同事们聊天时，他在用笔记本电脑工作。
Trabajó en su portátil mientras sus colegas charlaban.
同僚たちがおしゃべりしている間、彼はノートパソコンで仕事をしていました。
동료들이 수다를 떠는 동안 그는 노트북으로 일을 했습니다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: general

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Middle English 'whiles' + '-t' (adverbial suffix), from 'while' + genitive '-s'. 'While' comes from Old English 'hwil' meaning 'a space of time'. Primarily British English; American English prefers 'while'.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Story & Trivia

Whilst developed from 'while' plus the suffix '-st' (like 'amongst' from 'among'). It became distinctly British after American English dropped it in favour of the simpler 'while.'