a windy seaside view in Sochi
Russian Articles

How to use когда (when) and other conjunctions of time in Russian?

By: Anna Classing Fri Feb 28 2025
Russian
Conjunctions, Sentence Structure

In Russian, we когда[kagDA](when) and other of time to introduce that describe when something happened. For example:

Ты звонил, когда я был в душе.

ty zvaNEEL kagDA ya byl d DOOshe.

You were calling when I was in the shower.

→ когда я был в душе describes the time that you were calling.

Are you reading this post while waiting for a friend? Or before a class starts? Or after you had lunch? The words in bold are examples of conjunctions of time that we are going to discuss below. Follow me!

What kinds of conjunctions of time are there?

We can divide conjunctions of time into three main subcategories, based on their meaning:

  • Conjunctions like “after”:

    These introduce events that precede the situation in the .

    happens first

    After we came in, Dad told us the news.

  • Conjunctions like “while”:

    These introduce events that happen at the same time as the situation in the main clause.

    happen at the same time

    While we were coming in, Dad told us the news.

  • Conjunctions like “before”:

    Those introducing clauses with events that follow the ones in the main clause.

    happens second

    Before letting us in, Dad told us the news.

Below you can find Russian time conjunctions, broken into the three categories described above.

ImportantHow to use когда

The most important Russian conjunction of time is когда[kagDA](when), which can introduce any kind of time clause:

  • Позвони мне, когда придёшь домой.

    pazvaNEE mnye kagDA priDYOSH daMOY.

    Call me when you get home.

    → You get home before you call.

  • Ты звонил, когда я был в душе.

    ty zvaNEEL kagDA ya byl d DOOshe.

    You were calling when I was in the shower.

    → The call and the shower are simultaneous.

  • Я зашёл домой, когда раздался звонок.

    ya zaSHOL daMOY kagDA razDALsya zvaNOK.

    I went home when the phone rang.

    → You got home after the call.

Conjunctions like “after”

These conjunctions link a clause with events that happen before the ones in the main clause. They are grouped below according to nuances in meaning:

  • The conjunctions below all mean “right after” or “just after”:

    • как только

      kak TOLka

      as soon as / right after

    • едва... (как …)

      yidVA… (kak…)

      hardly / no sooner / right after

    • только... (как …)

      TOLka… (kak…)

      hardly / no sooner / right after

    • чуть (только)... (как …)

      choot (TOLka)... (kak…)

      hardly / no sooner / right after

    Как только is the most widely-used in this group:

    Позвони мне, как только придёшь домой.

    pazvaNEE mnye kak TOLka priDYOSH daMOY.

    Call me as soon as you get home.

    Едва, только, and чуть (только) tend to be used with past events. The final как may optionally introduce the main clause.

    Едва / Только / Чуть (только) он переступил порог, (как) раздался звонок.

    yidVA / TOLka / choot (NOLka) on piristooPEEL paROK (kak) razDALsya zvaNOK.

    Right after he stepped inside, (that) there was a ring.

  • пока не[paKA nye] means “until” or “unless.”

    Она будет пытаться, пока не добьётся нужного результата.

    aNA BOOdit pyTAtsa paKA ni dabYOtsa NOOZHnava rizoolTAta.

    She will keep on trying until she achieves the necessary result.

  • The conjunctions below usually are for actions that happened quite a while before the action in the main clause.

    • с тех пор как

      s tyekh por kak

      since

    • после того как

      pOSlye taVO kak

      after

    For example:

    С тех пор как / После того как я закончил школу, система экзаменов сильно изменилась.

    s tyekh por kak / POSlye taVO kak ya zaKONchil SHKOloo sisTYEma igZAmihaf SEELna izmiNEElas.

    Since / After I graduated from school, the exam system has changed dramatically.

Conjunctions like “while”

There is only one conjunction meaning “while” that is always used for simultaneous events in Russian: пока[paKA](while).

Пока я шёл домой, мне позвонили три человека.

paKA ya shol daMOY mnye pazvaNEEli tree chilaVYEka.

While I was walking home, three people called me.

The conjunction пока is used with positive, imperfective verbs.

Conjunctions like “before”

Used at the beginning of the dependent clause, these conjunctions create the idea that events in the dependent clause follow the events in the main clause.

  • прежде чем

    PRYEZHdye chem

    before / prior to

  • до того как

    da taVO kak

    before / prior to

  • перед тем как

    PYErit tyem kak

    before / prior to

These conjunctions all mean “before” or “prior to,” though прежде чем is the most common out of the three.

These can either be used before full clauses (with a subject and verb) or before an infinitive verb, as in the example below.

Прежде чем / До того как / Перед тем как выйти из дома, я им позвонил.

PRYEZHdye chem / da taVO kak / PYErit tyem kak VYIti iz DOma ya eem pazvaNEEL.

Before leaving the house, I called them.

Conclusion

In this post, we looked at Russian conjunctions of time: the most widely-used, universal когда[kagDA](when), and others that fall into three categories:

  • Those with the meaning of preceding, e.g. как только[kak TOLka](as soon as)

  • One with the meaning of simultaneity: пока[paKA](while)

  • Those with the meaning of following, e.g. прежде чем[PRYEZHdye chem](before)

Are you ready to practice using conjunctions of time? Download our Russian conjunctions of time exercises below! Or, if you’d rather review what we’ve learned, have a look at our printable Russian subordinating conjunctions master sheet. You can use it as a reference to help you study your conjunctions of time and to help you review all your other Russian subordinating conjunctions!

To embark on your next language adventure, join Mango on social!

Ready to take the next step?

The Mango Languages learning platform is designed to get you speaking like a local quickly and easily.

Mango app open on multiple devices
Log InSign Up