until、till 和 not…until 都与时间点或事件有关，表示“到……为止”或“直到……才”，但在语义、语法结构和使用场合上存在重要区别。下面先做详细分析，再给出80个中英文对照例句，全方位对比它们的用法。
一、until 与 till 的基本异同
相同点
· 两者都可作介词和连词，表示“直到……为止”，通常可以互换。
· 都可用于肯定句和否定句，都用于表示主句的动作或状态持续到某个时间点，或主句的动作在某时间点之后才发生。
不同点
1. 语体与正式程度
· until 是标准用词，适用于书面语和正式场合。
· till 是 until 的变体，更口语化、随意，但在很多正式文体中也常见，尤其在英国英语中。till 不是缩写，历史上比 until 更早出现。
2. 句首位置
· until 可以自由放在句首，引导时间状语。
· till 极少放在句首，多见于口语或非正式文体，正式写作中不推荐。
3. 固定搭配
· 一些固定表达如 “until then”, “until now”, “until recently” 通常用 until，用 till 会显得不够正式。
· 强调句型和倒装句中，几乎只用 until，如 “Not until…” 、“It was not until… that…”。
重要语法规则：until/till 与谓语动词的类型密切相关
· 肯定句：如果谓语是延续性动词（如 wait, stay, live, work, last 等），用 until/till 表示动作或状态一直持续到 until 所指的时间，然后结束。
· I waited until 5 o’clock. 我一直等到5点。
· 肯定句：如果谓语是瞬间动词（如 start, leave, arrive, finish 等），直接用 until/till 一般不合适，除非用否定式。因为瞬间动词不能持续。但也有特殊情况，如表示“延迟到某个时间发生”，可用 “He postponed the meeting until Monday.”，这时 postpone 本身是延续/及物动词。常见错误：He started until 10 o’clock.（错误）正确应为 He didn’t start until 10 o’clock.
· 否定句：not…until 结构表示“直到……才”，强调动作在某时间点才开始发生，此时主句谓语可以是延续性动词，也可以是瞬间动词。
· He didn’t leave until midnight. 他直到午夜才离开。
· 主句的否定形式除了用 not，还可使用 never、nothing 等否定词，但核心仍是“直到……才”的逻辑。
二、not…until 结构的深入用法
结构特征
· not 位于主句谓语部分，until 引导时间状语（从句或介词短语）。
· 翻译为“直到……才……”或“在……之前一直没有……”。
与 till 的互换
· 口语中可以用 “not…till”，但正式写作和强调结构中倾向用 “not…until”。
· 例如：I didn’t see him till yesterday. （口语） / I didn’t see him until yesterday. （通用）
强调与倒装
1. 强调句型：“It was not until + 时间/从句 + that + 主语 + 谓语”
· It was not until she arrived that we began. 直到她到了我们才开始。
· 注意：that 后的从句用陈述语序，且不用倒装。
2. 倒装句型：“Not until + 时间/从句 + 助动词 + 主语 + 谓语”
· Not until she arrived did we begin.
· 这里主句必须部分倒装，助动词提前。
三、until 与 before 的区别（附带说明）
· not…until 强调动作开始得晚，之前没有发生。
· before 强调在某个时间之前发生，但不一定是“直到那个时间才”，只表示先后顺序。
· 例如：
He didn’t come until 5. （一直没来，5点才来）
vs.
He came before 5. （5点之前来了）
vs.
He didn’t come before 5. （5点之前没来，可能5点后来，也可能一直没来）
下面通过80个精心设计的例句，深入对比 until、till 和 not…until 的用法差异。例句涵盖肯定持续、否定延迟、瞬间动词限制、语体差异、固定搭配、强调与倒装等各方面。
80个中英文对照例句
1. I will wait here until you come back.
我会在这里一直等到你回来。（until，肯定句，延续动词）
2. I will wait here till you come back.
我会在这里一直等到你回来。（till，口语常用）
3. She stayed at the office until 9 p.m.
她在办公室一直待到晚上9点。
4. She stayed at the office till 9 p.m.
她在办公室一直待到晚上9点。（till 更随意）
5. The meeting lasted until noon.
会议持续到中午。
6. The meeting lasted till noon.
会议持续到中午。
7. Please remain seated until the plane stops completely.
请在飞机完全停稳前保持就座。（直到停止）
8. You can keep the book until next Friday.
这本书你可以一直借到下周五。
9. I lived in London until I was twenty.
我在伦敦一直住到二十岁。
10. He slept until ten in the morning.
他一直睡到上午十点。
11. We chatted till midnight.
我们一直聊到半夜。
12. Work hard until you succeed.
努力干，直到成功。（until 用于祈使句）
13. Go straight on until you see the church.
一直往前走，直到看见教堂。
14. The rain continued until the next morning.
雨一直下到第二天早上。
15. I didn’t leave the office until 8 p.m.
我直到晚上8点才离开办公室。（not…until，瞬间动词）
16. She didn’t finish her homework until her mother came back.
她直到妈妈回来才完成作业。
17. They didn’t arrive until after dark.
他们直到天黑以后才到。
18. He never speaks until he is spoken to.
别人先跟他讲话，他才会开口。（never…until）
19. I hadn’t realized the truth until she told me.
直到她告诉我，我才意识到真相。
20. We won’t start the meeting until everyone is here.
等大家都到齐了我们才会开始会议。
21. The baby didn’t stop crying until he saw his mother.
那个婴儿直到看见妈妈才停止哭泣。
22. You cannot go out until you finish your meal.
你吃完饭才能出去。
23. He didn’t turn up until the concert had already begun.
直到音乐会已经开始了他才露面。
24. I never understood her feelings until I became a parent myself.
直到我自己做了父母，才理解了她的感受。
25. They had not heard the news until yesterday.
他们直到昨天才听到这个消息。
26. Not until midnight did she come home.
她直到午夜才回家。（倒装）
27. Not until the teacher came in did the students quiet down.
直到老师进来，学生们才安静下来。
28. It was not until the next morning that the storm finally subsided.
直到第二天早上暴风雨才最终平息。（强调句）
29. It was not until he took off his sunglasses that I recognized him.
直到他摘下墨镜，我才认出他。
30. It was not until I read her letter that I realized how much she had suffered.
直到读了她的信，我才意识到她受了多少苦。
31. Not until the last minute did he tell us the truth.
直到最后一分钟他才告诉我们真相。
32. Not until you’ve finished the basic course can you move on to the advanced level.
只有完成了基础课程，你才能进入高级阶段。
33. I will remain here till the work is done.
我会待在这里直到工作完成。（till 连词）
34. They worked from morning till night.
他们从早干到晚。（till 介词）
35. The shop is open till 10 p.m. on Saturdays.
商店周六营业到晚上10点。
36. I’ll love you till the end of time.
我会爱你到时间的尽头。（till 诗化口语）
37. We must wait until the light turns green.
我们必须等到绿灯亮起。
38. You don’t have to make a decision until next week.
你到下星期再作决定也不迟。
39. Nothing will change until you take action.
除非你行动起来，否则什么都不会改变。
40. Until recently, few people knew about this disease.
直到最近，还很少有人知道这种疾病。（句首 until，正式）
41. Until you’ve tried it yourself, you won’t understand.
除非你亲自试过，否则你不会明白。（句首 until）
42. He didn’t move till he heard the signal.
他直到听见信号才动。（口语用 till）
43. I didn’t get the email till this morning.
我直到今天早上才收到邮件。
44. She won’t agree till she sees the contract herself.
直到亲眼看到合同她才会同意。
45. The kids didn’t calm down till their father promised them a story.
孩子们直到爸爸答应给他们讲故事才安静下来。
46. Until then, I had never felt so alone.
直到那一刻，我从未感到如此孤单。（正式，句首 until）
47. Till then, take care of yourself.
在那之前，照顾好自己。（口语，句首 till 可用但不正式）
48. It was not until the 19th century that the theory gained acceptance.
直到19世纪，这一理论才被接受。
49. Not until we lost everything did we appreciate what we had.
直到失去一切，我们才珍惜曾经拥有的。
50. Not until the sun rose did the rescue team find the path.
直到太阳升起，救援队才找到路。
51. He didn’t stop playing video games until his eyes hurt.
他直到眼睛疼了才停止打游戏。
52. The library is open until 8 p.m. today.
图书馆今天开放到晚上8点。
53. You have until Friday to submit the report.
你必须在周五之前提交报告。（直到周五，含周五）
54. I stayed with her until the ambulance arrived.
我一直陪着她直到救护车来。
55. He waited until the last bus had left.
他一直等到最后一班公共汽车开走。
56. I didn’t learn to swim until I was twelve.
我直到十二岁才学游泳。
57. She didn’t realize she had left her keys at home until she reached the office.
她直到到了办公室才发现把钥匙落在家里了。
58. They didn’t start eating until the host took the first bite.
他们直到主人吃了第一口才开始吃。
59. The truth didn’t come out until many years later.
真相直到许多年后才大白。
60. I will not leave until I get an answer.
得不到答复我是不会走的。
61. He didn’t lift a finger until he was asked three times.
直到被叫了三次他才动一下。
62. She refused to speak until her lawyer was present.
她拒绝说话，直到她的律师在场。
63. We didn’t appreciate the value of water until the well ran dry.
直到井干了，我们才懂得水的珍贵。
64. Until now I thought he was honest.
直到现在我还以为他是诚实的。（现在可能改变了）
65. I had no idea of his difficulties until he broke down.
直到他崩溃我才知道他有多困难。
66. The snow didn’t melt until April.
雪直到四月才融化。
67. Not until you apologize will I forgive you.
直到你道歉我才会原谅你。
68. It was not until I was actually on the stage that my nervousness disappeared.
直到真的站到舞台上，我的紧张才消失。
69. Not until the examination was over did he feel relaxed.
直到考试结束他才觉得轻松。
70. Until instructed otherwise, stay where you are.
除非另有指示，否则待在原地。（until 句首）
71. Till we meet again, keep smiling.
直到再次见面，保持微笑。（诗意告别）
72. She had never been abroad until last summer.
直到去年夏天，她才第一次出国。
73. The patient didn’t regain consciousness until three days later.
病人直到三天后才恢复意识。
74. He didn’t stop running till he was completely exhausted.
他一直跑到完全筋疲力尽才停下。
75. The store doesn’t open till 10 a.m. on Sundays.
这家店星期天要到上午10点才开门。
76. I’ll be at the café until six, then I’ll go home.
我会在咖啡馆待到六点，然后回家。
77. Until you learn to trust yourself, you cannot truly trust others.
直到你学会信任自己，你才能真正信任别人。
78. Not until the evidence became overwhelming did the suspect confess.
直到证据变得无可辩驳，嫌疑人才认罪。
79. I didn’t realize how much I missed my hometown until I went back.
直到回去我才意识到我有多想念家乡。
80. It was not until he laughed that I understood it was a joke.
直到他笑了，我才明白那是个玩笑。
