Breakdown of Dopóki trwa wynajem, musisz płacić koszty prądu.
płacić
to pay
musieć
to have to
trwać
to last
prąd
electricity
Questions & Answers about Dopóki trwa wynajem, musisz płacić koszty prądu.
Dopóki can mean either 'until' or 'as long as'. How do we know it means 'as long as' here?
It depends on the verb aspect. Because dopóki is used here with imperfective (ongoing) verbs like trwa and płacić, it means 'as long as'. It shows two situations happening at the same time. If the verbs were perfective (completed actions), it would mean 'until'.
Why does the verb trwa come before the subject wynajem?
Polish has flexible word order. In subordinate clauses starting with conjunctions like dopóki, it is very common and natural to put the verb right after the conjunction. You could say Dopóki wynajem trwa, but Dopóki trwa wynajem flows a bit better.
Why use the imperfective verb płacić instead of the perfective zapłacić?
Paying the electricity is a recurring, ongoing obligation for the entire duration of the tenancy. Because it is a repeated action rather than a single, completed event, we use the imperfective płacić to match the ongoing nature of trwa.
Why is the word prąd in the genitive case here as prądu?
It is in the genitive case to show possession or belonging, which in English is often expressed with the word 'of'. Here, koszty prądu literally translates to 'the costs of electricity'.