Difference between revisions of "Expressing "all the way until" with "zhidao""

 
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直到 (zhídào) is for describing a time frame that began in the past and continued until a point closer to the present. It is like the English phrase, "all the way until." It can be used in an affirmative or negative form, expressing that something has taken a while or is late. The word 才 (cái) often teams up with 直到, and serves to [[Expressing lateness with "cai"|emphasize the lateness aspect]].
  
用于描述过去发生的事时,后半句常常用"才"或"都"连接。
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== Affirmative Form ==
  
== Affirmative Pattern ==
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In the positive form, which uses 才, it may be more natural in English to express the idea as "not until... did" something happen.
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
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</div>
  
== Negative Pattern ==
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This subject can also be placed before 直到.
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=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
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*<em>直到</em> 十二 点 半 ,我 <strong>才</strong> 做 完 作业 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> shí'èr diǎn bàn, wǒ <strong>cái</strong> zuò wán zuòyè.</span><span class="trans">It wasn't until twelve thirty in the morning that I finished my homework.</span>
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*<em>直到</em> 半 个 月 以后 ,我 的 感冒 <strong>才</strong> 好 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> bàn gè yuè yǐhòu, wǒ de gǎnmào <strong>cái</strong> hǎo.</span><span class="trans">It took me half a month to recover from the cold.</span>
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*她 <em>直到</em> 十八 岁 <strong>才</strong> 见到 亲生 父母 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zhídào</em> shíbā suì <strong>cái</strong> jiàndào qīnshēng fùmǔ.</span><span class="trans">It wasn't until she was eighteen that she met her biological parents.</span>
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*我 <em>直到</em> 大学 毕业 <strong>才</strong> 开始 独立 生活 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>zhídào</em> dàxué bìyè <strong>cái</strong> kāishǐ dúlì shēnghuó.</span><span class="trans">It wasn't until I graduated from college that I started living independently.</span>
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*<em>直到</em> 去 了 北京 ,他 <strong>才</strong> 知道 一个人 在 大 城市 多 辛苦 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> qù le Běijīng, tā <strong>cái</strong> zhīdào yīgèrén zài dà chéngshì duō xīnkǔ.</span><span class="trans">It wasn't until he went to Beijing that he understood how hard it is to be alone in a big city.</span>
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</div>
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== Negative Form ==
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
直到 + Time / Event ,Subj. + 都  + 不 / 没 + Predicate
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直到 + Time / Event ,Subj. + 都  + 不 / 没 ⋯⋯
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*<em>直到</em> 十二 点 半 ,我 才 做 完 作业 。<span class="trans">It wasn't until half past twelve in the morning that I finished homework.</span>
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*<em>直到</em> 他 搬 到 上海 ,我们 <strong>都 没</strong> 见 过 <span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> tā bān dào Shànghǎi, wǒmen <strong>dōu méi</strong> jiàn guo.</span><span class="trans">We didn't meet until he moved to Shanghai.</span>
*<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>
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*他们 是 同学 ,但是 <em>直到</em> 毕业 ,<strong>都 没</strong> 说 过 话 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen shì tóngxué, dànshì <em>zhídào</em> bìyè, <strong>dōu méi</strong> shuō guo huà.</span><span class="trans">They were classmates, but they had never spoken until they graduated.</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>
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*<em>直到</em> 电影 结束 ,他 <strong>都 没</strong> 来 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> diànyǐng jiéshù, tā <strong>dōu méi</strong> lái.</span><span class="trans">He didn't show up until the movie was over.</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="pinyin">Wǒ rènshi tā yī nián duō le, <em>zhídào</em> xiànzài, dōu bù zhīdào tā de quánmíng.</span><span class="trans">I've known him for more than one year, but I still don't know his full name now.</span>
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*<em>直到</em> 我 弟弟 上 大学 ,他 <strong>都 不</strong> 会 洗 衣服 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> wǒ dìdi shàng dàxué, tā <strong>dōu bù</strong> huì xǐ yīfu.</span><span class="trans">My younger brother didn't know how to wash clothes until he went to college.</span>
*<em>直到</em> 他 死 ,我们 都 没 见 过 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> tā sǐ, wǒmen dōu méi jiàn guo.</span><span class="trans">We never met till his death.</span>
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*我 认识 他 一年 多 了 ,<em>直到</em> 现在 ,我 <strong>都 不</strong> 知道 的 全名 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ rènshi tā yī nián duō le, <em>zhídào</em> xiànzài, wǒ <strong>dōu bù</strong> zhīdào tā de quánmíng.</span><span class="trans">I've known him for over a year, but even now I still don't know his full name.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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*[[Expressing "when" with "dengdao"]]
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*[[Complement with "dao"]]
  
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
== Sources and further reading ==
  
 
=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
===Dictionaries ===
 
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|直到|B1|直到 + Time / Event ,Subj. + 才 ⋯⋯||grammar point|}}
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
{{Rel char|直到}}
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{{Basic Grammar|直到|B1|直到 + Time / Event ,Subj. + 才 ⋯⋯|<em>直到</em> 十二 点 半 ,我 才 做 完 作业 。|grammar point|ASGC6E1C}}
 
{{Rel char|到}}
 
{{Rel char|到}}
{{Used for|Expressing time}}
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{{Rel char|才}}
{{Similar|Expressin }}
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{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
{{POS|Conjunctions}}
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{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "when" with "dengdao"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing lateness with "cai"}}
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{{POS|Prepositions}}
 
{{Translation|until}}
 
{{Translation|until}}
 
{{Translation|by the time}}
 
{{Translation|by the time}}

Latest revision as of 08:43, 24 April 2019

直到 (zhídào) is for describing a time frame that began in the past and continued until a point closer to the present. It is like the English phrase, "all the way until." It can be used in an affirmative or negative form, expressing that something has taken a while or is late. The word 才 (cái) often teams up with 直到, and serves to emphasize the lateness aspect.

Affirmative Form

In the positive form, which uses 才, it may be more natural in English to express the idea as "not until... did" something happen.

Structure

直到 + Time / Event ,Subj. + 才 ⋯⋯

This subject can also be placed before 直到.

Examples

  • 直到 十二 点 半 ,我 做 完 作业 。Zhídào shí'èr diǎn bàn, wǒ cái zuò wán zuòyè.It wasn't until twelve thirty in the morning that I finished my homework.
  • 直到 半 个 月 以后 ,我 的 感冒 好 。Zhídào bàn gè yuè yǐhòu, wǒ de gǎnmào cái hǎo.It took me half a month to recover from the cold.
  • 直到 十八 岁 见到 亲生 父母 。zhídào shíbā suì cái jiàndào qīnshēng fùmǔ.It wasn't until she was eighteen that she met her biological parents.
  • 直到 大学 毕业 开始 独立 生活 。zhídào dàxué bìyè cái kāishǐ dúlì shēnghuó.It wasn't until I graduated from college that I started living independently.
  • 直到 去 了 北京 ,他 知道 一个人 在 大 城市 多 辛苦 。Zhídào qù le Běijīng, tā cái zhīdào yīgèrén zài dà chéngshì duō xīnkǔ.It wasn't until he went to Beijing that he understood how hard it is to be alone in a big city.

Negative Form

Structure

直到 + Time / Event ,Subj. + 都 + 不 / 没 ⋯⋯

Examples

  • 直到 他 搬 到 上海 ,我们 都 没 见 过 。Zhídào tā bān dào Shànghǎi, wǒmen dōu méi jiàn guo.We didn't meet until he moved to Shanghai.
  • 他们 是 同学 ,但是 直到 毕业 ,都 没 说 过 话 。Tāmen shì tóngxué, dànshì zhídào bìyè, dōu méi shuō guo huà.They were classmates, but they had never spoken until they graduated.
  • 直到 电影 结束 ,他 都 没 来 。Zhídào diànyǐng jiéshù, tā dōu méi lái.He didn't show up until the movie was over.
  • 直到 我 弟弟 上 大学 ,他 都 不 会 洗 衣服 。Zhídào wǒ dìdi shàng dàxué, tā dōu bù huì xǐ yīfu.My younger brother didn't know how to wash clothes until he went to college.
  • 我 认识 他 一年 多 了 ,直到 现在 ,我 都 不 知道 他 的 全名 。Wǒ rènshi tā yī nián duō le, zhídào xiànzài, wǒ dōu bù zhīdào tā de quánmíng.I've known him for over a year, but even now I still don't know his full name.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books