alates ... kuni

From ... Until

Level 4

Alates esmaspäevast kuni reedeni means from Monday until Friday. The start takes -st and the end takes -ni.

How It Works

A range has a start and an end. Estonian marks both with case endings:

The words alates (from, starting) and kuni (until, up to) can go in front to make the range clearer. They do not replace the endings:

  • Pood on avatud alates esmaspäevast kuni reedeni.
  • Pood on avatud esmaspäevast reedeni. (the same meaning)
  • Pood on avatud kella üheksast kuueni. (from nine to six)

With dates, read the number as an ordinal: 1. maist (esimesest maist). Before -ni, the ordinal keeps only its genitive form: 30. juunini (kolmekümnenda juunini).

alates on its own means from ... on: Alates 1. jaanuarist kehtivad uued hinnad. It can also follow the noun: sellest päevast alates. It sounds more formal than saadik or peale. Keep alates for things that last. For a single change on a date, use the adessive: Hinnad tõusevad 1. märtsil (on 1 March).

Examples (6)

  1. Pood on avatud alates esmaspäevast kuni reedeni.

    The shop is open from Monday to Friday.

    Word by Word: shop is open from Monday-ELA until Friday-TERM

  2. Pood on avatud kella üheksast kuueni.

    The shop is open from nine to six.

    The case endings alone mark the start and the end.

  3. Näitus on avatud 1. maist kuni 30. juunini.

    The exhibition is open from 1 May to 30 June.

    Read as esimesest maist kuni kolmekümnenda juunini.

  4. Alates 1. jaanuarist kehtivad uued hinnad.

    The new prices apply from 1 January.

  5. Ma olen puhkusel kuni 15. augustini.

    I am on holiday until 15 August.

  6. Sellest päevast alates ei suitsetanud ta enam.

    From that day on, he no longer smoked.

    alates can also come after the noun.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the starting point without the elative.

    Pood on avatud alates esmaspäev.
    Pood on avatud alates esmaspäevast.

    alates always needs the elative ending -st on its noun: esmaspäevast.

  • Leaving the end point without -ni after kuni.

    Ma olen puhkusel kuni reede.
    Ma olen puhkusel kuni reedeni.

    kuni before a noun needs the terminative ending -ni.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

alates ... kuniLevel 4From ... Until

Learn This First

alates ... kuni combines a starting point and an end point.

Words in This Pattern

alatesalateskuni