until
- 01 A1 Beginner
prep.up to a specific time or event.
prep.indicating the end point of a continuous period or state.
Simple“We played outside until it got dark and our parents called us in.”
In context“The shop will remain closed for renovations until next Monday, at which point regular business hours will resume.”
UsageFollowed by a noun phrase representing a point in time.
PitfallI will stay here until 5:00 PM o'clock. I will stay here until 5:00 PM.Do not use 'o'clock' with AM or PM; 'until' simply needs the time.
- 02 A1 Beginner
conj.up to the moment that something happens.
conj.introducing a subordinate clause that functions as a temporal boundary for the main clause.
Simple“Please stay in your seats until the plane has come to a complete stop.”
In context“The researchers continued to monitor the chemical reaction until the solution reached a stable temperature and changed colour.”
UsageFollowed by a clause; the present simple is typically used for future reference.
PitfallI will wait until he will arrive. I will wait until he arrives.In future-facing time clauses starting with 'until', use the present simple tense, not 'will'.
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
prep.used with 'not' to mean that something happens at a specific time and no earlier.
prep.used in negative constructions to indicate that an event does not occur before a specific time.
Simple“The results of the test won't be ready until tomorrow morning.”
In context“The board of directors decided that the official announcement would not be released until all shareholders had been personally notified.”
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse 'until' with 'by'. Use 'until' for a continuous state that stops, and 'by' for a single action that happens before a deadline.
Synonyms
until vs by — Until marks the duration of a continuous state, while by marks a deadline for a single event.
Usage until next · until the end · until at least
From Middle English vntil, until, untill, ontil, ontill, perhaps representing a northern variant of Middle English unto (see Modern English unto). By surface analysis, un- (“against; toward; up to”) + till.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.