kuni
Until (Kuni)
Oota, kuni ma tagasi tulen means Wait until I come back. Pood on lahti kuni kella kuueni means The shop is open until six o’clock.
How It Works
kuni has four main uses.
- Until, with a clause: Oota, kuni ma tagasi tulen. Laps nuttis, kuni ta magama jäi. The main clause often has seni or niikaua: Ma ootan seni, kuni sa tuled.
- As long as or while, with a clause: Kuni päike paistis, oli soe. Kuni supp keeb, koori kartulid. The context shows which meaning is meant.
- Until, with a noun: the noun takes the terminative -ni: kuni reedeni, kuni kella viieni, kuni Tartuni. kuni can even be left out: Sadas õhtuni. For a start and an end point, see alates ... kuni.
- Up to, with an amount: the number keeps its usual form: Saali mahub kuni 500 inimest. Between two numbers, kuni means to: kolm kuni neli kuud.
An until-clause does not need a negative verb in Estonian: Oota, kuni ma tulen. A negative clause is also possible and can mean the same thing: Töölised streigivad, kuni juhtkond pole nende nõudmisi rahuldanud. When kuni starts a clause, it always has a comma before it.
Examples (6)
- Oota siin, kuni ma tagasi tulen.
Wait here until I come back.
Word by Word: wait here until I back come
- Laps nuttis, kuni ta magama jäi.
The child cried until he fell asleep.
- Kuni sa siin elad, pead reegleid järgima.
As long as you live here, you have to follow the rules.
Here kuni means as long as.
- Pood on lahti kuni kella kuueni.
The shop is open until six o’clock.
kella kuueni: the clock time takes -ni.
- Ma olen Tartus kuni reedeni.
I am in Tartu until Friday.
- Saali mahub kuni 500 inimest.
Up to 500 people fit in the hall.
Before an amount, kuni means up to and the number does not take -ni.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the -ni ending on the noun after kuni.
Ma olen Tartus kuni reede.Ma olen Tartus kuni reedeni.Before a day, a clock time or a place, kuni needs the noun in the terminative -ni.
Leaving out the comma before a kuni clause.
Oota siin kuni ma tagasi tulen.Oota siin, kuni ma tagasi tulen.Here kuni starts a clause with its own verb, and Estonian always puts a comma before a subordinate clause.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before a noun kuni goes with the terminative.
Related Patterns
- alates ... kuniFrom ... Until
alates marks the starting point and kuni the end point of a range.
Level 4 - enne kuiBefore (Enne Kui)
enne kui also marks a later limit, but it means before rather than until.
Level 3 - pärast seda, kuiAfter (Pärast Seda, Kui)
Another linking word for time that starts a clause.
Level 3 - kuiWhen and if (Kui)
kui is the most general time word for starting a clause.
Level 2 - Commas Before Clauses
A kuni clause is set off with a comma like every subordinate clause.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice kuni in Bubblegum
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