与此同时
at the same time; meanwhile
Structure
一件事 。／， 与此同时 ， 另一件事
What it means
“At the same time; meanwhile”: 此 points back to what was just said, and the clause adds a second development running alongside it, either simply coexisting or in contrast.
How it is built
One development 。／， 与此同时 ， + another (often with 却, 也 or 还): 物价不断上涨，与此同时，工资却好几年没变 (prices keep rising, while wages have not changed in years).
When to use it
Formal, typical of news and history; in speech plain 同时 will do. 在…的同时 (1-26) puts the first development inside the frame instead: 在扩大生产的同时，也开拓海外市场.
Watch out
It normally opens the clause, before the subject, with a comma after it. ✗ 他与此同时也在开拓市场 ✓ 与此同时，他也在开拓市场.
Examples
元朝在各地设立行省。与此同时，它把百姓分成了四个阶层。
The Yuan set up provinces across the country. At the same time it ranked its subjects in four classes.
公司在国内扩大生产，与此同时，也在积极开拓海外市场。
The company is expanding production at home and, at the same time, working hard to open up markets abroad.
物价不断上涨，与此同时，工资却好几年没变。
Prices keep rising, while wages have not changed in years.
Learn this in Lesson 95 · HSK 6–7: 元朝：马背上的帝国 (The Yuan: an empire on horseback)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
Open the lesson →