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

 
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直到 (zhídào) can only be used to describe the past, acting like the English word "all the way until." It can be used in an affirmative or negative form, expressing that something has taken a while or is late.
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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]].
  
 
== Affirmative Form ==
 
== Affirmative Form ==
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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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This subject can also be place before 直到.
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This subject can also be placed before 直到.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*<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 half past twelve in the morning that I finished homework.</span>
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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>
*<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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*<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>
 
*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>
 
*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>
*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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*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>
 
*<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>
 
*<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 class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*<em>直到</em> 他 ,我们 <strong>都 没</strong> 见 过 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhídào</em> tā , wǒmen <strong>dōu méi</strong> jiàn guo.</span><span class="trans">We never met till his death.</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>
*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 are classmates. But they had never spoken until they graduated.</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> 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 never showed up until the movie was over.</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>
*<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 could't wash clothes until he went to college.</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>
*我 认识 他 一年 多 了 ,<em>直到</em> 现在 ,我 <strong>都 不</strong> 知道 他 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 more than one year, but I still don't know his full name.</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 他 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>
  
 
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
 
{{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}}
 
{{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}}
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{{Rel char|才}}
 
{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
 
{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "when" with "dengdao"}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "when" with "dengdao"}}
{{Similar|Expressing "when" with "dengdao"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing lateness with "cai"}}
 
{{POS|Prepositions}}
 
{{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