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пока. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
пока, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
пока in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
пока you have here. The definition of the word
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Russian
Etymology
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
Adverb
пока́ • (poká)
- for the present, for the time being
- пока́ что ― poká što ― meanwhile, in the meantime
- я пока́ что э́то сде́лаю ― ja poká što éto sdélaju ― I’ll do it in the meanwhile.
- 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
пока́ • (poká)
- so long as, while
1958, “Песня о тревожной молодости (Song of the Restless Youth)”, Lev Oshanin (lyrics), Aleksandra Pakhmutova (music):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!
Usage notes
The subordinate clause that has пока must have an imperfective verb. The main clause could either have an imperfective or a perfective verb.
See also
Interjection
пока́ • (poká)
- (familiar) bye; so long; I’ll see you later; see you soon.
Further reading
- Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “пока”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress