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<title>Expressing "when" with "dengdao"</title>
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<h1>Expressing "when" with "dengdao"</h1>

<p>The word 等到 (děngdào) can trip up learners, because while it can literally mean "wait until," it also has the less literal translation meaning "when (the time comes)" or "by the time." This is a pattern that appears in complex sentences, with 等到 acting as a conjunction and appearing in the first part as the first word in the sentence.</p>

<h2>Contents</h2>

  
<div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 Used for the Future </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 Used for the Past </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 See also </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 Sources and further reading </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.1 Books</span></li>
</ul>
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<h2>Used for the Future</h2>

<h3>Structure</h3>

<div class="deux">等(到) + Time / Event ，Subj. + 再 / 就 + Predicate</div>

<p>The predicate part of the pattern can be a verb or an adjective.</p>

<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">等到 你 感觉 不 舒服 就 晚 了。
Děngdào nǐ gǎnjué bù shūfu jiù wǎn le.
It will be too late when you start feeling not well. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">等 雨 停 了 我 再 出门 。
Děng yǔ tíng le wǒ zài chūmén.
When the rain stops, then I will go outside. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">等 做完 这个 项目 ，我 就 休假 。
Děng zuò wán zhège xiàngmù, wǒ jiù xiūjià.
I will take a vacation when I complete doing this project. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">等到 老板 签 了 字 ，我 再 做 安排 。
Děngdào lǎobǎn qiān le zì, wǒ zài zuò ānpái.
I will make arrangements when the boss signs the paper.</span><br/></li>
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<h2>Used for the Past</h2>

<h3>Structure</h3>

<div class="deux">等(到) + Time / Event ，Subj. + 才 + Predicate</div>

<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">等 我 回 了 家 ，才 发现 手机 忘 在 了 出租车 上 。
Děng wǒ huí le jiā, cái fāxiàn shǒujī wàng zài le chūzūchē shàng.
I didn't realize I left my cellphone in the taxi until I got home. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">等到 孩子 上 了 小学 ，她 才 开始 工作 。
Děngdào háizi shàng le xiǎoxué, tā cái kāishǐ gōngzuò.
She didn't start working until her children went to elementary school. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">等 学生 都 安静 了 ，老师 才 开始 上课 。
Děng xuéshēng dōu ānjìng le, lǎoshī cái kāishǐ shàngkè.
The teacher didn't begin the class until the students all became quiet. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">等 他 有 了 孩子 ，才 知道 做 父母 多么 不 容易 。
Děng tā yǒu le háizi, cái zhīdào zuò fùmǔ duōme bù róngyì.
It wasn't until he had a child that he realized how hard it is to be a parent. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">等到 他 到 家 了 ，才 发现 他 没有 带 钥匙 。
Děngdào tā de le áizhèng, cái yìshí dào jiànkāng yǒu duō bǎoguì.
It wasn't until he got home that he found that he didn't have his keys.</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

<h3>See also</h3>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Complement with "dao" </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Expressing "all the way until" with "zhidao"</span><br/></li>
</ul>
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<h3>Sources and further reading
</h3>
<h4>Books</h4>
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