Questions & Answers about Пока мама режет хлеб, я накрываю на стол.
What does пока mean here?
Here пока means while.
So Пока мама режет хлеб, я накрываю на стол means While mom is cutting bread, I am setting the table.
A useful thing to know is that пока can mean different things in other contexts, for example:
- for now / for the time being
- until
- bye in informal speech
But in this sentence, with a full clause after it, it means while.
Why is there a comma after хлеб?
Because Пока мама режет хлеб is a subordinate clause, and я накрываю на стол is the main clause.
Russian normally separates a subordinate clause from the main clause with a comma:
- Пока мама режет хлеб, я накрываю на стол.
- Я накрываю на стол, пока мама режет хлеб.
Both need a comma.
Why are both verbs in the present tense?