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Breakdown of У нас столько же времени, сколько в последний раз.
мы
we
в
at
время
the time
столько же … сколько
as much ... as
последний
last
раз
the time
Questions & Answers about У нас столько же времени, сколько в последний раз.
Why is it у нас instead of something like “we have” (мы имеем)?
Russian normally expresses possession with the construction у + Genitive (person) + (есть), literally “at us.” So у нас (есть) means “we have.” Using иметь (“to have”) with people is possible but sounds bookish or unnatural in everyday speech here. Prefer у нас.
Do I need to include есть here: У нас (есть) столько же времени…?
It’s optional. In neutral present-tense statements, есть is often omitted when the existence is obvious and the focus is on quantity or quality:
- У нас столько же времени… (natural, neutral)
- У нас есть столько же времени… (also correct; can sound a bit heavier or more emphatic about existence)
Why is it времени and not время?
After quantity words like столько, много, мало, Russian uses the Genitive. Время is an irregular neuter noun; its Genitive singular is времени. Since “time” here is a mass noun, Genitive singular is used: столько времени (“so much time”).
What does the pattern столько же …, сколько … do?
It’s the standard correlative pattern for equality of quantity: “as much/many … as …”
- столько же времени, сколько… = “as much time as…” The же helps signal equality (it’s common and natural here).
Could I say так же …, как … instead?
Use the right pair for the right kind of comparison:
- For quantity: столько (же) …, сколько … (as much/many … as …)
- For quality/manner/degree: так (же) …, как … (as … as …) So with “time” as an amount, use столько (же) …, сколько …. Saying столько же …, как … is common in casual speech but considered nonstandard; stick to сколько.
Why is there a comma before сколько?
In Russian, correlative comparisons like столько (же) …, сколько … take a comma before the сколько-clause. The second part is treated like a comparative clause and is set off with a comma.
Can I add и after сколько: …сколько и в последний раз?
Yes. И is optional and adds a slight emphasis to the parallel: …сколько (и) в последний раз. Both are correct.
Do I need to repeat a verb in the second part, like сколько было в последний раз?
You can include it, but it’s not required. Ellipsis is normal because the meaning is clear:
- …сколько (его было) в последний раз. Both versions are correct; without было is more concise and very natural.
Is the word order fixed? Can I move parts around?
Word order is flexible in Russian, though the given order is the most neutral:
- У нас столько же времени, сколько в последний раз. (neutral) Possible but marked variations (often for emphasis or style):
- Столько же времени у нас, сколько в последний раз.
- Времени у нас столько же, сколько в последний раз. Use the default unless you need a specific emphasis.
What’s the nuance of в последний раз vs в прошлый раз?
Both can mean “last time (the previous occasion).”
- в прошлый раз is unambiguous: “the previous time.”
- в последний раз can mean either “the most recent time” or “the final time ever,” with context usually clarifying. If you want to avoid any “final” flavor, prefer в прошлый раз. (Some speakers use в крайний раз in certain professions, but it can sound jargony or regional.)
Why is it в последний раз with the Accusative?
With в + a time expression meaning “on/at a specific occasion,” Russian often uses the Accusative: в этот раз, в тот день, в прошлый раз, в последний раз. It’s an idiomatic time-point usage.
Can I drop же: столько времени, сколько…?
Yes. Же emphasizes identity/equality but isn’t strictly required:
- столько времени, сколько… (correct)
- столько же времени, сколько… (more common; slightly more explicit about equality)
How would this work with countable nouns?
The structure is the same; the noun goes to Genitive plural:
- У нас столько же дней, сколько в прошлом месяце.
- У него столько же книг, сколько у тебя. For mass nouns (like время), use Genitive singular: столько времени.
Any pronunciation tips?
- у нас [u nas]
- сто́лько же [STOHL’-ka zhe] — stress on the first syllable of сто́лько
- вре́мени [VREH-me-nee] — stress on вре́
- ско́лько [SKOHL’-ka] — stress on ско́
- после́дний [pa-SLYED-nee] — stress on ле́
- раз [ras]
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