(dài) - until & by the time

Tone 4

dài | 9 strokes | radical: 辶

· dài

until;

by the time;

to wait for;

to take advantage of

untilby the timeto wait for

Usage highlights

untilby the timewait fortake advantage of the opportunityuntil nowwait for dawn

Synonyms

  • wait for; await
  • reach; until
  • arrive; until

Antonyms

  • leave; depart
  • separate; part

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Wait until the rain stops (迨雨止).
  • By the time we arrived, it was already dark (迨至, 天已黑).
  • Take advantage of the opportunity (迨机).

Collocations

  • until(迨至)
  • by the time(迨及)
  • wait for(迨候)
  • take advantage of the opportunity(迨机)
  • until now(迨今)
  • wait for dawn(迨旦)

Idioms

  • Wait for the right moment(迨时而动)
  • Until death do us part(迨死靡他)
  • Take advantage of the situation(迨势乘便)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Classical Chinese character mainly used in literary and formal contexts
  • Often appears in classical texts and poetry to express temporal relationships
  • Rarely used in modern spoken Chinese but preserved in written formal language

FAQ