until

The word “until” means before or up to a certain time. It can be  used as a conjunction or a preposition. 

  • I won’t see you until tomorrow. (preposition) 
  • The children can play outside until it gets dark. (conjunction) 
  • Maria has to work until 10 tonight. (preposition) 
  • Kids in the United States can’t get their driver’s license until they turn 16. (conjunction) 
  • I can’t wait until the weekend! (preposition) 

How to Use the Word “Until” 

a. until as a preposition

 

Use “until” as a preposition for time that goes up to a specific minute, hour, day, month, year, etc. 

  • I’ll be here until 4 p.m. today. 
  • They will live in their apartment until next year. 
  • We have until Tuesday to finish this project. 
  • The teacher says we have until tomorrow to turn in our assignment. 
  • The store doesn’t close until 10:00. 
  • It’s open until 10:00. 
  • The meeting won’t begin until much later. 

a. until as a preposition

train at station
  • The train didn’t arrive until 10:05. It was late. It should have arrived as 9:20. 
A man smiling while working at an office desk with a computer and natural daylight streaming in through large windows.
  • He has to work until 7:00 tonight. 
 

b. until as a conjunction

When “until” is a conjunction, it creates a condition for something to happen  “Until” is a subordinating conjunction. It appears at the beginning or in the middle of a complex sentence, and it requires a main clause in order to make the sentence complete. 

  • You can’t get a driver’s license in the United States until you turn 16. (The condition here is that a person must turn 16 before getting a driver’s license.) 
  • Until you turn 16, you can’t get a driver’s license in the United States. 
  • Henry can’t begin his new job until the background check is completed. 
  • Until the background check is completed, Henry can’t begin his new job. 
  • Construction on the project will continue until the workers finish. 
  • You can’t sit on that chair until the paint is dry. 

b. until as a conjunction

A mother confronts her child, who is upset.
  • She can’t play outside until she finishes her homework. 
  • Until she finishes her homework, she can’t play outside. 
road covered by snow near vehicle traveling at daytime
  • We should probably wait until the snow stops. 
  • Until the snow stops, we should probably wait. 
 

First published on November 2, 2025 

 

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