Difference between revisions of "Expressing "when" with "dengdao""

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{{Grammar Box}}  
  
[[Category:**URGENT**]]
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The word 等到 (děngdào) can trip up learners, because while it can literally mean "to wait until," it also has the less literal translation meaning "when (the time comes)" or "by the time (something happens)." This is a pattern that appears in complex sentences, with 等到 acting as a [[conjunction]] and appearing in the first part as the first word in the sentence.
  
"等到"字面意思是"wait until",相当于"when"在将来时里的时间状语,后半句常常用"再、就"连接,也可以用"才"。用"才"的时候往往是在描述过去发生的事。
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== Used for the Future ==
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When talking about the future, the second part of the sentence uses [[就]] (jiù) or [[再]] (zài).
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
等到 + Time Word / [Verb Phrase] ,Subj. + 再 / 就 / 才 + Predicate
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等(到) + Time / Event ,Subj. + 再 / 就 + Predicate
 
</div>
 
</div>
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The [[predicate]] part of the pattern can be a verb or an adjective.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*<em>等到</em> 大学 毕业 ,我 不 住 在 学校 里 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děngdào</em> dàxué bìyè, wǒ jiù bù zhù zài xuéxiào lǐ le.</span><span class="trans">When I graduate from college, I don't live at school.</span>
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*<em>等到</em> 老板 知道 <strong></strong> 麻烦 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děngdào</em> lǎobǎn zhīdào <strong>jiù</strong> máfan le.</span><span class="trans">When the boss finds out, we'll be in trouble.</span>
*<em>等到</em> 秋天 ,这些 树叶 就 会 变 黄 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děngdào</em> qiūtiān, zhèxiē shùyè jiù huì biàn huáng.</span><span class="trans">When it is autumn, the leaves will have already become yellow.</span>
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*<em></em> 雨 停 了 我 <strong>再</strong> 出门 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děng</em> yǔ tíng le wǒ <strong>zài</strong> chūmén.</span><span class="trans">When the rain stops, I'll go outside.</span>
*<em></em> 雨 停 我 再 出门 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děng</em> yǔ tíng wǒ zài chūmén.</span><span class="trans">When the rain stops, then I will go outside.</span>
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*<em>等到</em> 秋天 ,这些 树叶 <strong>就</strong> 会 变 黄 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děngdào</em> qiūtiān, zhèxiē shùyè <strong>jiù</strong> huì biàn huáng.</span><span class="trans">When autumn arrives, these leaves will turn yellow.</span>
*<em>等</em> 这个 项目 结束 ,我们 部门 会 开 派对 庆祝 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děngdào</em> zhège xiàngmù jiéshù, wǒmen bùmén huì kāi pàiduì qìngzhù.</span><span class="trans">When this project is finished, our department can have a party to celebrate.</span>
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*<em>等</em> 做 完 这个 项目 ,我 <strong>就</strong> 休假 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děng</em> zuò wán zhège xiàngmù, wǒ <strong>jiù</strong> xiūjià.</span><span class="trans">I will take a vacation when I finish this project.</span>
*<em>等到</em> 你 当 爸爸 ,你 就 会 知道 父母 多么 不 容易。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děngdào</em> nǐ dāng le bàba, nǐ jiù huì zhīdào zuò fùmǔ duōme bù róngyì.</span><span class="trans">When you act as the father, you will become aware of how hard it is to be a parent.</span>
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*<em>等到</em> 老板 签 字 ,我 <strong>再</strong> 安排 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děngdào</em> lǎobǎn qiān le , wǒ <strong>zài</strong> zuò ānpái.</span><span class="trans">I will make arrangements once the boss signs off on it.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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== Used for the Past ==
  
== Not until with 直到 ==
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For the past, the second part of the sentence uses [[才]] (cái). This pattern is very similar to [[Expressing "all the way until" with "zhidao"|how 直到 (zhídào) is used to mean "all the way until"]], and also overlaps with the [[Expressing lateness with "cai"|use of 才 to express lateness]].
  
用于描述过去发生的事时,"直到"比"等到"更常用,后半句常常用"才"或"都"连接。
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=== Structure ===
  
===  Structure ====
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<div class="jiegou">
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等(到) + Time / Event ,Subj. + 才 + Predicate
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</div>
  
Affirmative:
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=== Examples ===
  
<div class="jiegou">
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<div class="liju">
等到 + Time Word / [Verb Phrase] ,Subj.  + 才 + Predicate
 
</div>
 
  
Negative:
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*<em>等</em> 我 回 了 家 ,<strong>才</strong> 发现 手机 忘 在 了 出租车 上 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děng</em> wǒ huí le jiā, <strong>cái</strong> fāxiàn shǒujī wàng zài le chūzūchē shàng.</span><span class="trans">I didn't realize I left my cell phone in the taxi until I got home.</span>
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*<em>等到</em> 孩子 上 了 小学 ,她 <strong>才</strong> 开始 工作 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děngdào</em> háizi shàng le xiǎoxué, tā <strong>cái</strong> kāishǐ gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">She didn't start working until her children had started elementary school.</span>
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*<em>等</em> 学生 都 安静 了 ,老师  <strong>才</strong> 开始 上课 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děng</em> xuéshēng dōu ānjìng le, lǎoshī <strong>cái</strong> kāishǐ shàngkè.</span><span class="trans">The teacher didn't begin the class until the students all became quiet.</span>
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*<em>等</em> 他 有 了 孩子 ,<strong>才</strong> 知道 做 父母 多么 不 容易 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děng</em> tā yǒu le háizi, <strong>cái</strong> zhīdào zuò fùmǔ duōme bù róngyì.</span><span class="trans">It wasn't until he had had a child that he realized how hard it is to be a parent.</span>
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*<em>等到</em> 他 到 家 了 ,<strong>才</strong> 发现 他 没有 带 钥匙 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Děngdào</em> tā dào jiā le, <strong>cái</strong> fāxiàn tā méiyǒu dài yàoshi.</span><span class="trans">It wasn't until he got home that he found that he didn't have his keys.</span>
  
<div class="jiegou">
 
等到 + Time Word / [Verb Phrase] ,Subj. + 都  + 不 / 没 + Predicate
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
=== Examples ===
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== See also ==
  
<div class="liju">
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*[[Complement with "dao"]]
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*[[Expressing "all the way until" with "zhidao"]]
  
*<em>直到</em> 周五 晚上 ,我们  才 做好 这个 活动 方案 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> Zhōuwǔ wǎnshang, wǒmen cái zuòhǎo zhège huódòng fāng'àn.</span><span class="trans">It was not until  Friday evening that we finished this activity program.</span>
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== Sources and further reading ==  
*<em>直到</em> 去 了 北京 ,他 才 知道 大城市 的 生活 多么 不容易 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> qù le Běijīng, tā cái zhīdào dàchéngshì de shēnghuó duōme bù róngyì.</span><span class="trans">It was not until he went to Beijing that he began to understand that life in a big city is not easy.</span>
 
*<em>直到</em> 离开 家 ,我 才 知道 家 有 多 好。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> wǒ líkāi jiā de shíhou, wǒ cái zhīdào jiā yǒu duō hǎo.</span><span class="trans">I didn't realize how great it is to be at home until I left it.</span>
 
*我 认识 他 一年 多 了,<em>直到</em> 现在 ,我 都 不 知道 他 的 全名 。<span class="trans">I've known him for more than one year, but I haven't known his full name up till now.</span>
 
*<em>直到</em> 他 死 ,我们 都 没 见 过 。<span class="trans">We never met till his death.</span>
 
</div>
 
  
== See Also ==
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=== Books ===
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|等到|B1|等到 + [Verb Phrase] + (的时候),Subj. + 再 / 就 / 才 + [Verb Phrase]|<em>等到</em> 大学 毕业 ,我 就 不 住 在 学校 了。|grammar point|ASG68F61}}
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{{HSK|HSK0}}
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{{Basic Grammar|等到|B1|() + Time / Event ,Subj. + 再 / 就 ⋯⋯|<em>等到</em> 大学 毕业 ,我 就 不 住 在 学校 了。|grammar point|ASG68F61}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing time and date}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing time and date}}
{{Similar|}}
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{{Rel char|等}}
{{POS|Conjunctions}}
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{{Rel char|到}}
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{{Rel char|就}}
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{{Rel char|再}}
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{{Rel char|才}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "all the way until" with "zhidao"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing lateness with "cai"}}
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{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
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{{Subprop|Complex Sentence Patterns}}
 
{{Translation|when}}
 
{{Translation|when}}
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{{Translation|once}}
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{{Translation|until}}

Latest revision as of 02:53, 11 November 2020

The word 等到 (děngdào) can trip up learners, because while it can literally mean "to wait until," it also has the less literal translation meaning "when (the time comes)" or "by the time (something happens)." This is a pattern that appears in complex sentences, with 等到 acting as a conjunction and appearing in the first part as the first word in the sentence.

Used for the Future

When talking about the future, the second part of the sentence uses (jiù) or (zài).

Structure

等(到) + Time / Event ,Subj. + 再 / 就 + Predicate

The predicate part of the pattern can be a verb or an adjective.

Examples

  • 等到 老板 知道 麻烦 了。Děngdào lǎobǎn zhīdào jiù máfan le.When the boss finds out, we'll be in trouble.
  • 雨 停 了 我 出门 。Děng yǔ tíng le wǒ zài chūmén.When the rain stops, I'll go outside.
  • 等到 秋天 ,这些 树叶 会 变 黄 。Děngdào qiūtiān, zhèxiē shùyè jiù huì biàn huáng.When autumn arrives, these leaves will turn yellow.
  • 做 完 这个 项目 ,我 休假 。Děng zuò wán zhège xiàngmù, wǒ jiù xiūjià.I will take a vacation when I finish this project.
  • 等到 老板 签 了 字 ,我 做 安排 。Děngdào lǎobǎn qiān le zì, wǒ zài zuò ānpái.I will make arrangements once the boss signs off on it.

Used for the Past

For the past, the second part of the sentence uses (cái). This pattern is very similar to how 直到 (zhídào) is used to mean "all the way until", and also overlaps with the use of 才 to express lateness.

Structure

等(到) + Time / Event ,Subj. + 才 + Predicate

Examples

  • 我 回 了 家 , 发现 手机 忘 在 了 出租车 上 。Děng wǒ huí le jiā, cái fāxiàn shǒujī wàng zài le chūzūchē shàng.I didn't realize I left my cell phone in the taxi until I got home.
  • 等到 孩子 上 了 小学 ,她 开始 工作 。Děngdào háizi shàng le xiǎoxué, tā cái kāishǐ gōngzuò.She didn't start working until her children had started elementary school.
  • 学生 都 安静 了 ,老师 开始 上课 。Děng xuéshēng dōu ānjìng le, lǎoshī cái kāishǐ shàngkè.The teacher didn't begin the class until the students all became quiet.
  • 他 有 了 孩子 , 知道 做 父母 多么 不 容易 。Děng tā yǒu le háizi, cái zhīdào zuò fùmǔ duōme bù róngyì.It wasn't until he had had a child that he realized how hard it is to be a parent.
  • 等到 他 到 家 了 , 发现 他 没有 带 钥匙 。Děngdào tā dào jiā le, cái fāxiàn tā méiyǒu dài yàoshi.It wasn't until he got home that he found that he didn't have his keys.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books