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Using 'Hasta'

Preposition Often Means 'Up To' or 'Until'

By , About.com Guide

The preposition hasta typically means "up to" or "until" or similar concepts in matters of time (se suspendió la exportación de carne hasta el dos de Septiembre, the export of meat was suspended until September 2), measurements (olas de hasta cinco metros, waves up to 5 meters high), location (viajó hasta Nueva York, he traveled as far as New York) and situation (todo iba bien hasta que salieron, everything was going fine until they left).

Hasta is also used in a number of expressions. Here are some of the most common:

  • hasta aquí, to this point (Cómo hemos llegado hasta aquí? How did we get to this point?)
  • hasta aquí, until now (hasta aquí creemos que tienes una buena idea, until now we've believed that you had a good idea.)
  • estar hasta la coronilla, estar hasta las narices, to be up to here (in a sense indicating one is sick and tired of something, as in estoy hasta la coronilla de la corrupción, I'm fed up to here with the corruption)
  • hasta después, hasta luego, hasta la vista, hasta entonces, see you later
  • hasta el día del juicio, until the very end (allí permanecerán hasta el día de juicio, they will stay there until the end)
  • hasta mañana, see you tomorrow
  • hasta no poder más, until no more could be done (comió hasta no poder más, he ate until he could eat no more)
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