Learn Arabic › A1 › حَتَّى
حَتَّى
until /ˈħat.taː/
particleA1#69 most common
Also: even, so that / in order to, up to
Example sentences
انْتَظِرْ حَتَّى الغَدِ.
Wait until tomorrow.
نِمْتُ حَتَّى الصَّباحِ.
I slept until morning.
قَرَأْتُ الكِتابَ حَتَّى النِّهايَةِ.
I read the book until the end.
حَتَّى الأَطْفالُ يَعْرِفونَ هٰذا.
Even children know this.
دَرَسَ بِجِدٍّ حَتَّى يَنْجَحَ في الامْتِحانِ.
He studied hard so that he would pass the exam.
لَمْ يَهْدَأْ بالُهُ حَتَّى اطْمَأَنَّ عَلى سَلامَةِ أَبْنائِهِ.
His mind did not rest until he was reassured of his children's safety.
Word family
إِلىto, until (preposition of limit)
كَيْso that, in order to
لِكَيْin order that
لِـin order to (lām of purpose)
Etymology
حَتَّى is a native Semitic function word, attested throughout Classical Arabic and the Qurʾān. It is a primitive particle (حرف مبني), not derived from a triliteral root, and serves three core jobs: a preposition of end-limit ('until, up to'), a subordinating conjunction of purpose or result ('so that'), and an inceptive particle of emphasis ('even'). Its very versatility made it a famous crux among early grammarians.
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