Por Enquanto in Portuguese: Say ‘For Now’ and ‘Meanwhile’
Por enquanto describes a temporary situation that may change; até agora looks back at what has happened so far.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
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 por enquanto for a temporary choice or situation
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.
Por enquanto, vou trabalhar de casa.
For now, I’m going to work from home.
Pode guardar a mala aqui por enquanto.
You can leave the suitcase here for the time being.
Vamos continuar assim por enquanto.
We’ll keep going this way for now.
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.
Até agora, ninguém respondeu ao convite.
So far, nobody has answered the invitation.
Por enquanto, vamos esperar mais um dia.
For now, we’ll wait one more day.
Até agora deu tudo certo; por enquanto, o plano continua igual.
So far, everything has worked out; for now, the plan remains the same.
Put it into practice
Choose por enquanto for a temporary ‘for now’ situation and até agora for a progress report about what has happened up to this point.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “You can leave the suitcase here for the time being”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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