connective N3 uncommon casualpolitewritten
うちは — as long as ~
うちは
Builds on うちに
Meaning
- as long as ~ / while ~ (the current state lasts) — holds only until the situation changes, with a 'before it's too late' undertone
Key sentence
元気なうちは、働き続けたい。
As long as I'm healthy, I want to keep working.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (る / ている / ない) / い-adjective / な-adj + な / Noun + の | V / Aい / な-adjな / Nの + うちは | 明るいうちは / 子どものうちは |
Examples
明るいうちは、外で遊べる。
As long as it's light out, we can play outside.
親が元気なうちは、安心だ。
As long as my parents are well, I can rest easy.
Easily confused with
〜うちに うちに urges an action 'while the chance lasts / before it changes' (timing for a deed). うちは states a durative condition 'as long as the state holds' — and implies that once it changes, things will be different. 〜間は Both are 'as long as ~.' 間は is a plain span; うちは foregrounds that the state is temporary — 'while it still lasts.'
See うちは in real sentences
Jengo shows うちは the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.