пока
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Russian
[edit]Russian phrasebook
This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness. |
Etymology
[edit]Related to Ukrainian поки (poky), Belarusian пакуль (pakulʹ), Polish póki, from по (po)+кꙑи (kyi), in Russian with analogous formation after дока (doka), пота (pota) (Vasmer 1958).
(Interjection): Short of прощай пока (proščaj poka, “farewell so long”) or пока до свидания (poka do svidanija). Used since the early 20th century first as colloquial, thereafter as familiar. May be a calque from some other language, compare English so long (used since 19th century) and Swedish hej så länge.
Pronunciation
[edit]Adverb
[edit]пока́ • (poká)
- for the present, for the time being
- for now (at the moment; until later)
- пока́ всё ― poká vsjo ― that’s all; that will do
- Пока́ хва́тит, а за́втра посмо́трим ― Poká xvátit, a závtra posmótrim ― Тhat's enough for now and let's see (again) tomorrow.
Conjunction
[edit]пока́ • (poká)
- so long as, while
- Пока́ есть госуда́рство, нет свобо́ды. Когда́ бу́дет свобо́да, не бу́дет госуда́рства. (Влади́мир Ле́нин)
- Poká jestʹ gosudárstvo, net svobódy. Kogdá búdet svobóda, ne búdet gosudárstva. (Vladímir Lénin)
- While the State exists, there can be no freedom. When there is freedom there will be no State. (Vladimir Lenin)
- 1958, “Песня о тревожной молодости (Song of the Restless Youth)”, Lev Oshanin (lyrics), Aleksandra Pakhmutova (music)[1]:
- Пока я ходить умею,
Пока глядеть я умею,
Пока я дышать умею,
Я буду идти вперёд!- Poka ja xoditʹ umeju,
Poka gljadetʹ ja umeju,
Poka ja dyšatʹ umeju,
Ja budu idti vperjód! - So long as I can walk,
So long as I can see,
So long as I can breathe,
I will go forth!
- Poka ja xoditʹ umeju,
Usage notes
[edit]The subordinate clause that has пока must have an imperfective verb. The main clause could either have an imperfective or a perfective verb.
Related terms
[edit]See also
[edit]- до́ндеже (dóndeže)
Interjection
[edit]пока́ • (poká)
Related terms
[edit]- покедова (pokedova)
Further reading
[edit]- Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “пока”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress