Questions & Answers about בינתיים אני רוצה רק מים.
What does בינתיים mean here?
בינתיים can mean meanwhile, in the meantime, or for now. In this sentence, the most natural meaning is for now. It tells you the speaker is talking about their current preference, not necessarily a permanent one.
Why is בינתיים at the beginning of the sentence?
Hebrew word order is fairly flexible, and it is very common to put a time word or time phrase first. Starting with בינתיים sets the frame right away: for now...
So בינתיים אני רוצה רק מים sounds very natural.
If you move it, the sentence can still be understood, but the emphasis changes a little:
- בינתיים אני רוצה רק מים = For now, I only want water
- אני רוצה רק מים בינתיים = I only want water for now
How do I pronounce the whole sentence?
A simple transliteration is:
beintayim ani rotze rak mayim — if a man is speaking
beintayim ani rotza rak mayim — if a woman is speaking
The spelling stays the same in ordinary Hebrew writing.
How do I know whether רוצה is rotze or rotza?