直到

zhí dào

HSK 3.0 Level 3 Verb Very common

Definitions

1. until

Word relationships

Register variants

1 item

• 直至 zhí zhì 直至 zhí zhì lasting until 直至 is a formal equivalent of 直到, used in written Chinese.: lasting until

Related words

3 items

• 等 děng 等 děng class 直到 means until a time; 等 means to wait, used in similar contexts of waiting until.: class
• 到 dào 到 dào to reach; to arrive 直到 contains 到, which means to arrive or until; can be used in time expressions.: to reach; to arrive
• 以至 yǐ zhì 以至 yǐ zhì down to 以至 means so that or until, used to indicate result or extension up to a point.: down to

Usage notes

Collocations

直到 often pairs with 才 (only then) to indicate that something happens only after reaching a point: 直到他来了，我才离开 (Only after he arrived did I leave).

Common mistakes

直到 is used with actions that continue up to a point, not for instantaneous events. Incorrect: 我直到吃晚饭 (I until eat dinner). Correct: 我一直等到他回来 (I waited until he came back).

Example Sentences

3 shown

直到 今天，我还没收到她的信。

Until today, I still haven't received her letter.

直到 下周。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 686739)

他等我 直到 我來。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 875286)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 直到

• 直到现在 直到现在 zhí dào xiàn zài: even now

Child Words of 直到

• 到 到 dào: to reach; to arrive
• 直 直 zhí: straight