avant
/a.vɑ̃/
The English word "until" can be translated into French as avant. Wiktionary also lists avant que.
Meaning: before (conj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| avant | /a.vɑ̃/ |
| avant que | /a.vɑ̃ kə/ |
In French, avant is used to mean "before". If you want to express the English sense of "until" as in continuing an action up to a certain point in time, the most common and versatile word to use is jusqu'à.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between using avant and jusqu'à. While avant translates to "before" (meaning an event happens prior to a point), jusqu'à is used to express "until" in the sense of continuing an action up to a specific point in time.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/a.vɑ̃/ (two syllables)
Did you know?
- While avant means 'before', the phrase avant-garde uses it to mean 'forward' or 'front'. It originally described the leading part of an advancing army.
- The word avant comes from the Late Latin ab ante, which combines the words for 'from' and 'before'.
- French has a distinct phrase avant-hier to mean 'the day before yesterday'. It literally translates as 'before yesterday'.
Examples in context
- On ne l'a pas su avant hier.It was not until yesterday that we knew about it.This sentence uses avant to show when something was known.Tatoeba #11023 by dominiko, translation #63313 by CM
- J'en ai besoin avant demain.I need it until tomorrow.This sentence uses avant to express a deadline.Tatoeba #4451205 by franlexcois, translation #5668004 by Airvian
- Je ne pars pas avant demain.I'm not leaving until tomorrow.This sentence uses avant to indicate when a departure will not occur.Tatoeba #10953798 by lbdx, translation #6164885 by sundown
- Je travaille jusqu'à six heures.I work until six o'clock.
- J'attendrai ici jusqu'au moment où tu reviendras.I will wait here until the moment you come back.
- Je vais jouer jusqu'à ce que tu arrives.I'll play until you arrive.
- Attends ici jusqu'à ce moment-là.Wait here until that moment.
- 89 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are discussing their dinner plans.
- HugoJe rentre avant le dîner.I'm coming home before dinner.
- ChloéC'est parfait, Hugo.That's perfect, Hugo.
- HugoOn mange avant huit heures ?Are we eating before eight o'clock?
- ChloéOui, c'est une bonne idée.Yes, that's a good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “until” translations and entries avant, avant que, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avant, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
