How do you use "until" in a sentence?

The shop is open until nine o'clock. I'll wait here until you get back. We didn't know the results until this morning.

until

Q: What does "until" mean?

Up to a particular time or point Until (also written as 'till' informally) indicates the time when something stops happening or the point at which a situation changes. It can function as both a preposition ('until Monday') and a conjunction ('until you arrive'). The phrase 'not until' emphasises that something won't happen before a certain time.

Vocabulary Word BritishAmerican ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

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Meaning: Up to a particular time or point

直到，在……之前

hasta

〜まで、〜するまで

~까지, ~할 때까지

Until (also written as 'till' informally) indicates the time when something stops happening or the point at which a situation changes. It can function as both a preposition ('until Monday') and a conjunction ('until you arrive'). The phrase 'not until' emphasises that something won't happen before a certain time.

「until」（非正式写作中也作「till」）表示某事停止发生的时间或情况发生变化的时间点。它既可作介词（「until Monday」），也可作连词（「until you arrive」）。短语「not until」强调某事在特定时间之前不会发生。

«Until» (también escrito como «till» informalmente) indica el momento en que algo deja de suceder o el punto en que cambia una situación. Puede funcionar como preposición («until Monday») y como conjunción («until you arrive»). La frase «not until» enfatiza que algo no sucederá antes de cierto momento.

「until」（カジュアルには「till」とも書く）は、何かが起こるのをやめる時点や状況が変わる時点を示します。前置詞（「until Monday」）としても接続詞（「until you arrive」）としても機能します。「not until」というフレーズは、ある時点まで何かが起こらないことを強調します。

Until(비격식적으로 'till'이라고도 씀)은 어떤 일이 멈추는 시점이나 상황이 바뀌는 시점을 나타냅니다. 전치사('until Monday')와 접속사('until you arrive') 모두로 사용할 수 있습니다. 'not until'은 특정 시점 전에는 어떤 일이 일어나지 않음을 강조합니다.

Examples

The shop is open until nine o'clock.
商店营业到九点。
La tienda está abierta hasta las nueve.
お店は9時まで開いています。
가게는 9시까지 영업합니다.
I'll wait here until you get back.
我会在这里等到你回来。
Esperaré aquí hasta que vuelvas.
あなたが戻ってくるまでここで待ちます。
당신이 돌아올 때까지 여기서 기다릴게요.
We didn't know the results until this morning.
我们直到今天早上才知道结果。
No supimos los resultados hasta esta mañana.
今朝まで結果がわかりませんでした。
오늘 아침까지 결과를 몰랐습니다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: general

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Norse 'und' (as far as) + 'til' (to), entering English in the 13th century. Surprisingly, 'till' is actually the older English form and 'until' was formed by adding the prefix. Many people wrongly assume 'till' is a shortened version of 'until', but it is the other way around.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal