HSK · Level 89
45 words
Chinese word
直至
Pronunciation
Pinyinzhí zhì
Meaning
- conjunctionuntil
Example
直至天黑，他才回家。zhí zhì tiān hēi tā cái huí jiā
He did not return home until dark.
More examples
他一直工作，直至现在才休息。tā yì zhí gōng zuò zhí zhì xiàn zài cái xiū xī
He worked continuously until now and only then took a break.
Core concept
A continuing line of time or action reaches a clearly marked endpoint.
Common phrases
直至天黑zhí zhì tiān hēi
until dark
直至现在zhí zhì xiàn zài
until now
直至最后一刻zhí zhì zuì hòu yí kè
until the last moment
Similar words
直到zhí dào: Shows the point in time, place, or degree up to which something continues.
一直到yì zhí dào: Highlights uninterrupted continuation from a starting point to a stated endpoint.
直到为止zhí dào wéi zhǐ: Makes clear that an action or state lasts up to a stated point and ends there.
Definition in Chinese
表示某个动作或状态一直持续到某个时间点或范围的终点为止，常用于引出终止点。biǎo shì mǒu gè dòng zuò huò zhuàng tài yì zhí chí xù dào mǒu gè shí jiān diǎn huò fàn wéi de zhōng diǎn wéi zhǐ cháng yòng yú yǐn chū zhōng zhǐ diǎn
Word origin
直 (zhí, "straight") + 至 (zhì, "reach") forms the idea of moving directly along a course until it reaches its endpoint.
Usage tips
- In everyday speech, 直到 (zhídào, "until") is usually more natural than 直至 (zhízhì, "until"), which often belongs to formal or written language.