È morto a 86 anni l’ex premier Silvio Berlusconi

Durante vs mentre

“Durante questo periodo…”
(During this period…)

These two adverbs have similar meaning but different uses. To summarize, “durante” is used with nouns to indicate a temporal duration, while “mentre” is used with verbs to indicate simultaneous actions or events.

“Durante” is a preposition and is followed by a noun. It is used to indicate the temporal duration or timeframe in which an action or event takes place.

• Ho mangiato durante la pausa pranzo. (I ate during the lunch break.)
• Durante l’estate, andiamo al mare. (During the summer, we go to the beach.)
• Durante la mia infanzia, ho vissuto in un piccolo paese. (During my childhood, I lived in a small town.)

On the other hand, “mentre” is a conjunction and is followed by a verb. It is used to express simultaneous actions or events happening at the same time.

• Leggo un libro mentre aspetto l’autobus. (I am reading a book while waiting for the bus.)
• Mentre cucino, ascolto musica. (While I cook, I listen to music.)
• Mentre studiavo, mio amico mi ha chiamato. (While I was studying, my friend called me.)