HSK 7
与此同时
yǔ cǐ tóng shí
与此同时 (at the same time)
Explanation
与此同时 (yǔ cǐ tóngshí) is a conjunctive phrase (a phrase that links clauses), meaning 'at the same time', 'simultaneously with that', used to connect two events occurring in parallel at the same moment.
(clause 1 stating the first event), 与此同时 (yǔ cǐ tóngshí) + (clause 2 stating the second event occurring simultaneously). It usually stands at the beginning of the latter clause.
when you want to connect two events happening at the same time, especially in written language (used in books and documents) or formal speech; 此 (cǐ) means 'this matter/this thing' mentioned earlier.
同时 (tóngshí) can be used in colloquial speech and may simply serve as an adverb within a single sentence; whereas 与此同时 (yǔ cǐ tóngshí) is a phrase that links two sentences/clauses, more formal, always implying 'simultaneously with what was just said'.
与此同时 must have an event already stated beforehand for 此 (cǐ 'this matter') to refer to; it is not used to open a passage when no event has yet been mentioned.
Examples
The sun set behind the mountains, and almost at the same time a heavy rain began to pour down.
A few months later, his eyes began to water incessantly, and at the same time his eyesight also grew worse and worse.
Practice
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Learn “与此同时” effectively
The grammar point “与此同时” (与此同时 (at the same time)) is one of the key structures at HSK 7. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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