तक

As Far as or Until

Level 2Sounds Like taka

तक marks an end point: as far as a place, or until or by a time.

How It Works

तक marks where or when something stops. It follows a place or a time:

  • Place: यह बस स्टेशन तक जाती है (This bus goes as far as the station).
  • Time: मैं शाम तक दफ़्तर में हूँ (I'm at the office until the evening).
  • Deadline: शुक्रवार तक फ़ीस जमा कीजिए (Please pay the fee by Friday).

Until or by? It depends on the verb. With something that goes on, तक means until. With a task that gets finished, it means by.

The noun before तक changes as before any postposition: दरवाज़ा → दरवाज़े तक. Paired with से, it gives a range: सुबह से शाम तक.

Useful questions are कहाँ तक? (how far?) and कब तक? (until when? by when?). अब तक and अभी तक mean so far; with नहीं they mean not yet: वह अभी तक नहीं आया.

After a noun in a negative sentence, तक can also mean even: उसने चाय तक नहीं पी (He didn't even drink his tea). That use has its own entry.

Examples (5)

  1. यह रास्ता स्टेशन तक जाता है।

    This road goes as far as the station.

    तक marks where the road ends.

  2. क्या आप सोमवार तक यहाँ हैं?

    Are you here until Monday?

    With a state that goes on, तक means until.

  3. चलिए, मैं आपके साथ दरवाज़े तक चलता हूँ।

    Come, I'll walk you to the door.

    दरवाज़ा becomes दरवाज़े before तक.

  4. मुझे यह रिपोर्ट शुक्रवार तक चाहिए।

    I need this report by Friday.

    With something to be finished, तक means by.

  5. वह अभी तक नहीं आया।

    He hasn't come yet.

    अभी तक with नहीं means not yet.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving an -आ noun unchanged before तक.

    मैं आपके साथ दरवाज़ा तक चलता हूँ।
    मैं आपके साथ दरवाज़े तक चलता हूँ।

    Like other postpositions, तक needs the changed form of a masculine noun in -आ.

How It Connects

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तकLevel 2As Far as or Until

Learn This First

तक marks end points in place and time.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

तक