English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
For a while
Meaning
The idiom "for a while" means for a certain period of time or temporarily. It is commonly used to refer to a specific duration of time that is not necessarily exact but is intended to give an approximate idea of how long something will last.
Usage
- I will be away from home for a while, so you can take care of things while I'm gone.
- We'll be meeting every other week for a while to work on our project.
- The weather has been bad for a while now, but we hope it clears up soon.
- I have a lot of work to do before the deadline, so I won't be able to take any time off for a while.
- My car has been acting up lately, and I think I need to take it to the mechanic for a while to get it fixed.
Roots and History
The idiom "for a while" has been in use since at least the 16th century. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known use of the phrase was in 1578 when it appeared in a book about farming. Over time, the phrase became more commonly used as a way to refer to a specific period of time that was not necessarily exact but was intended to give an approximate idea of how long something would last.
Synonyms in English
- For a duration
- For some time
- Temporarily
- For a spell
- For a period
Synonyms in other languages
- Por un tiempo (Spanish) - This phrase is similar to "for a while" and means "for a period of time."
- Pourquoi (French) - This word can be used as a question to ask why something is happening or will happen, which can be equivalent to asking for a reason or explanation.
- 簡單地说 (Chinese) - This phrase means "to explain simply" and can be used to refer to a brief explanation of something that won't take long.
- 幾週間 (Japanese) - This phrase can be translated to "for a few weeks" or "for a while," depending on the context in which it is used.
- בשלום (Hebrew) - This phrase means "in peace" and can be used as a way of wishing someone well or expressing hope for the future.