Today’s Grammar Point

～うちは… = while ～, as long as ～

“While a certain condition of ～ continues/continued, another condition … (will) continue(d) also.”

Connection

• [plain form verb] + うちは …
• [てform] + いる うちは …
• ～（が）ない うちは …
• [いadjective] + うちは …
• [なadjective] + な うちは …
• [noun] +の うちは …

Examples

1. 元気げんきで働はたらけるうちは、仕事しごとを続つづけるつもりだ。
   I’m going to continue working as long as I’m healthy enough to do so.
2. 熱ねつがあるうちは風呂ふろに入はいってはいけません。
   You should not take a bath while you are running a fever.
3. 雪ゆきが降ふっているうちは誰だれも来こなかった。
   Nobody came while it was snowing.
4. 子こどもが静しずかに遊あそんでいるうちは、遊あそばせておきましょう。
   Leave the child alone while he/she is playing quietly.
5. 熱ねつがないうちは、大丈夫だいじょうぶだ。
   You will be OK as long as you don’t develop a fever.
6. わたしの目めの黒くろいうちは、絶対ぜったいにこの土地とちは売うらない。
   I will never sell this land as long as I’m alive.
   目めの黒くろいうち is a customary expression meaning “while … is alive” and is often used in a similar context.
7. まだ明あかるいうちは仕事しごとを続つづけよう。
   I’ll carry on working as long as the sun is out.
8. 若わかいうちは疲つかれを知しらない。
   When you are young, you don’t know the meaning of fatigue.
9. 学生がくせいのうちは、なんでもできる。
   You can do anything while you are a student.
10. 小学生しょうがくせいのうちは、好すきなことをさせてあげましょう。
    Let children do whatever they want to do while they are in the primary school.

Variation

～うちが ….。

If the particle after うち is changed from は to が, it states the time described with ～ is/was a/the special time (in the person’s life) – mostly in a positive meaning, so the words like 幸しあわせ (happiness), 一番いちばん (No. 1), 花はな  (the best time) and 勝負しょうぶ (the crunch time) are often used in the second part of the sentence.

Examples

1. 歩あるけるうちが幸しあわせだった。
   I was happy when I was able to walk.
2. 赤あかん坊ぼうは寝ねているうちが一番いちばんかわいい。
   Babies are cutest when they are asleep.
3. 知しらないうちが花はな。
   Happiness is not knowing. (← You are better off while you didn’t know.)
   花はな here means ”the best time” or “the best days.”
4. 元気げんきなうちが一番いちばんだ。
   Your best time is when you are still healthy.
5. 新人しんじんのうちが勝負しょうぶだ。
   The time to act is while you are a new comer.

• うち

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