atâta vreme cât
As Long as
Atâta vreme cât means “as long as”. It can describe how long a situation lasts or a condition under which something holds.
How It Works
Duration and condition
Voi lupta atâta vreme cât mai am putere expresses continuing duration. Poți sta aici atâta vreme cât ești liniștit sets a condition.
Forms
With feminine vreme, use atâta vreme. With neuter singular timp, both masculine-type variants atât timp and atâta timp are standard. The final -a of atâta is not exclusively a feminine marker.
Mood and register
The indicative is common for an actual or open condition. The phrase is used in ordinary speech and careful writing; do not treat formality as a grammatical restriction or infer an automatic requirement to add să.
Do not confuse with cause
De vreme ce means “since/because”. Choose it when introducing a reason, rather than simply a duration. Context can make a duration relevant to an argument, but the two phrases do not have identical meanings.
Examples (4)
- Poți sta aici atâta vreme cât ești liniștit.
You can stay here as long as you are quiet.
Word by Word: You can stay here so-much time as you-are quiet.
Here, the phrase sets a condition for staying. Note the use of the indicative 'ești'.
- Atâta vreme cât plouă, nu putem pleca în drumeție.
As long as it rains, we cannot go on a hike.
Word by Word: So-much time as it-rains, not we-can leave in hike.
The clause presents the rain as a condition preventing this hike; it does not establish that every practical obstacle ends at exactly the same instant as the rain.
- Atâta vreme cât legea este în vigoare, trebuie respectată.
As long as the law is in force, it must be respected.
Word by Word: So-much time as law-the is in force, must respected.
A typical formal/legal usage of the pattern.
- Voi lupta atâta vreme cât mai am putere.
I will fight as long as I still have strength.
Word by Word: I-will fight so-much time as still I-have strength.
The adverb mai is often used with this pattern to emphasize continued duration.
Common Mistakes
Using masculine atât before feminine vreme.
Atât vreme cât ești aici, rămân.Atâta vreme cât ești aici, rămân.Vreme is feminine and takes atâta. This does not make atâta timp wrong: atât and atâta are both standard masculine-type variants.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Recognize a temporal clause before extending duration to a condition that continues to hold.
Related Patterns
- Open Conditions With dacăReal Conditions with Dacă
'Atâta vreme cât' often functions as a specific type of 'if' (dacă) that is tied to duration.
Level 2 - Adjective Agreement
Vreme takes feminine atâta; timp is neuter and permits the singular masculine-type variants atât and atâta.
Level 1 - The Adverb mai
The adverb 'mai' is frequently paired with this expression to indicate that a state is still ongoing.
Level 3 - cu condiția săProvided That
Cu condiția să explicitly selects a subjunctive clause; atâta vreme cât has a different structure.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice atâta vreme cât in Bubblegum
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