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直到 (zhí dào) — (verb, temporal) until; up to (a point in time)

Definition

Emphasizes that an action or state continues all the way up to a time, often paired with 才 to show a late point. Pairs naturally with 为止 as in 到现在为止 ('up until now').

verb
(verb, temporal) untilup to (a point in time)

Examples

  • 直到。
    Wǒ zhí dào zuó tiān cái zhī dào zhè jiàn shì.
    I didn't find out about this until yesterday.
  • 直到。
    Tā zhí dào wǎn shàng shí diǎn cái shuì jiào.
    He didn't go to sleep until 10 p.m.
  • 直到，。
    zhí dào Xiàn zài, wǒ hái méi chī fàn.
    Until now, I still haven't eaten.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

直zhídirectly
到dàoreach

The parts 直 and 到 combine as directly and reach, giving the sense of reaching a point in time.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
至至zhìto arrive
Sound part声符shēngfú
刀
刀dāo到dào
Same sound today

到 combines 至, meaning 'to arrive', with 刀 as the sound part. The 至 part points to the idea of reaching a stopping point.

Open 到 →

Grammar

Appears in
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