Until and in order to (حتى)

The Particle حتى: "Until" and "In Order To"

To express the ultimate goal of an action or the limit of how long it lasts, Arabic uses the versatile particle حتى. Depending on the context, it translates to "in order to," "so that," or "until."

The Subjunctive Mood

When حتى is followed by a present tense verb, that verb must take the subjunctive mood (المضارع المنصوب). Changing a verb to the subjunctive involves specific modifications to its ending:

• For standard singular verbs (such as I, you (masc.), he, she, we), the final vowel changes from a damma (ـُ) to a fatha (ـَ).
• For dual and plural forms that normally end in ـون or ـان (like "they" or "you all"), the final ن is dropped. For the masculine plural, an unpronounced alif (ـوا) is added in its place.

Expressing Purpose: "In Order To"

When used to explain why an action was undertaken, حتى functions like "in order to" or "so that." Notice how the singular verbs in the following examples end with a fatha:

When the subject is plural, the subjunctive verb drops its final ن. In the next example, notice how the verb becomes يحققوا instead of the regular present tense يحققون:

Expressing a Limit: "Until"

When describing an action or state that continues up to a specific breaking point, حتى translates as "until." The grammatical rules remain exactly the same.

The same rule for dropping the final ن applies to dual subjects. Notice how the verb in this dual sentence becomes يتغلبا instead of يتغلبان: