"等(到)"意思相当于"when"引导的时间状语，后半句常常用"再、就"连接，也可以用"才"。用"才"的时候往往是在描述过去发生的事。

Usage of 等(到)

Structure

Examples

等到大学毕业，我就不住在学校里了。 Děngdào dàxué bìyè, wǒ jiù bù zhù zài xuéxiào lǐ le.
When I graduate from college, I don't live at school.
等到秋天，这些树叶就会变黄。 Děngdào qiūtiān, zhèxiē shùyè jiù huì biàn huáng.
When it is autumn, the leaves will have already become yellow.
等雨停我再出门。 Děng yǔ tíng wǒ zài chūmén.
When the rain stops, then I will go outside.
等这个项目结束，我们部门会开派对庆祝。 Děng zhège xiàngmù jiéshù, wǒmen bùmén huì kāi pàiduì qìngzhù.
When this project is finished, our department can have a party to celebrate.
等你当了爸爸，你就会知道做父母多么不容易。Děng nǐ dāng le bàba, nǐ jiù huì zhīdào zuò fùmǔ duōme bù róngyì.
When you act as the father, you will become aware of how hard it is to be a parent.

Usage of 直到

用于描述过去发生的事时，"直到"比"等到"更常用，后半句常常用"才"或"都"连接。

Structure

Examples

直到周五晚上，我们才做好这个活动方案。 Zhídào Zhōuwǔ wǎnshang, wǒmen cái zuòhǎo zhège huódòng fāng'àn.
It was not until Friday evening that we finished this activity program.
直到去了北京，他才知道大城市的生活多么不容易。 Zhídào qù le Běijīng, tā cái zhīdào dàchéngshì de shēnghuó duōme bù róngyì.
It was not until he went to Beijing that he began to understand that life in a big city is not easy.
直到离开家，我才知道家有多好。 Zhídào wǒ líkāi jiā de shíhou, wǒ cái zhīdào jiā yǒu duō hǎo.
I didn't realize how great it is to be at home until I left it.
我认识他一年多了，直到现在，我都不知道他的全名。 Wǒ rènshi tā yī nián duō le, zhídào xiànzài, wǒ dōu bù zhīdào tā de quánmíng.
I've known him for more than one year, but I still don't know his full name now.
直到他死，我们都没见过。 Zhídào tā sǐ, wǒmen dōu méi jiàn guo.
We never met till his death.

Contents

Usage of 等(到)