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Russian grammar - When - the difference between когда & пока

When - the difference between когда & пока

когда for interrupted actions.

-- it is common (but not always the case) that an imperfective verb is interrupted after когда with a perfective verb - 'was doing something something happened'.

-- Recall that когда can also just mean the question 'when?'

пока for two simultaneous actions - like 'while' - but performed by different people/objects.

-- It is common (but not always the case) that пока connects two imperfective clause - 'was doing was doing'

-- пока (or пока не) also means 'until'. In this case we typical see the pattern + пока + .

Examples:
Я не люблю, когда она одна в доме.
I don't like it when she is alone in the house.

любить means 'to love'

Они ели, когда зазвонил телефон.
They were eating when the phone rang.

зазвонить means 'to start ringing' (only a perfective for exists)

Мы гуляли в парке, когда пошёл дождь.
We were walking in the park when it started raining.

идти / пойти means 'to go'

The rain 'goes' in Russian.

Когда я смотрю эту пьесу, я всегда плачу.
When I watch that play, I always cry.

плакать means 'to cry' (it doesn't really have a perfective aspect)

Когда ты свободен?
When are you (informal) free?
Я смотрел фильм, пока она готовила.
I (male) was watching the movie while she was cooking.

готовить / приготовить means 'to prepare' or 'to cook'

Почему они так громко кричали, пока я разговаривал по телефону?
Why were they shouting so loudly while I (male) was talking on the telephone?

кричать / крикнуть means 'to shout'

разговаривать / разговаривать means 'to speak' or 'to chat'

Он плакал, когда говорил о своем прошлом.
He cried while he was speaking about his past.

Two simultaneous actions but peformed by the same person so когда

Я читал книгу, пока гулял.
I (male)read a book as I walked.

гулять / погулять means 'to go for a walk' or 'to stroll'

Она ждала, пока её мать делала покупки.
She waited while her mother did the shopping.

ждать / подождать means 'to wait'

Я шел, пока мои ноги не устали.
I (male) walked until my legs got tired.
Я звонил и звонил, пока не ответили.
I (male) rang and rang until they answered.

звонить / позвонить means 'to ring'

отвечать / ответить means 'to answer'