Por Enquanto in Portuguese: Say ‘For Now’ and ‘Meanwhile’ — Practice

Use por enquanto for a temporary choice or situation

Por enquanto commonly means ‘for now’ or ‘in the meantime.’ It tells the listener that a plan or situation is temporary, at least from the speaker’s perspective. The phrase can appear at the start or end of a sentence.

Use it for current arrangements, temporary decisions, and things you plan to review later. It does not promise that the situation will change at a specific time; add a date or condition when that matters.

Compare por enquanto with até agora

Até agora usually means ‘so far’ or ‘up to now.’ It looks back over a period and reports what has happened. Por enquanto focuses on a temporary state or arrangement that is still in effect.

In a conversation, até agora can introduce an update, while por enquanto can explain the present plan. You may use both in the same exchange if one sentence summarizes progress and another describes what you will do next.

Remember: Choose por enquanto for a temporary ‘for now’ situation and até agora for a progress report about what has happened up to this point.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. For now, I’m going to work from home.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Por enquanto, vou trabalhar de casa.

2. You can leave the suitcase here for the time being.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode guardar a mala aqui por enquanto.

3. We’ll keep going this way for now.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vamos continuar assim por enquanto.

4. So far, nobody has answered the invitation.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Até agora, ninguém respondeu ao convite.

5. For now, we’ll wait one more day.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Por enquanto, vamos esperar mais um dia.

6. So far, everything has worked out; for now, the plan remains the same.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Até agora deu tudo certo; por enquanto, o plano continua igual.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Choose por enquanto for a temporary ‘for now’ situation and até agora for a progress report about what has happened up to this point.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Por Enquanto in Portuguese: Say ‘For Now’ and ‘Meanwhile’ lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.