пока

Related to Ukrainian поки (poky), Belorusian покi (póki), 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.

• IPA^(key): [pɐˈka]

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пока́ • (poká)

1. 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.

2. for now (at the moment; until later)

   пока́ всё ― poká vsjó ― 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.

пока́ • (poká)

1. 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)

The subordinate clause that has пока must have an imperfective verb. The main clause could either have an imperfective or a perfective verb.

• пока́ не (poká ne)
• пока́мест (pokámest)

• до́ндеже (dóndeže)

пока́ • (poká)

1. (familiar) bye; so long; I’ll see you later; see you soon.

• покедова (pokedova)

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “пока”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), transl. & suppl. by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress