kap6 zi3及至

Jyutpingkap6 zi3

Yalekahp ji

連詞

Definition

By the time; up to; until a certain event occurs.

writtentime

How it's used

及至 functions as a formal conjunction used to indicate a point in time when a subsequent action or event finally occurs. It carries a sense of waiting or a delay, emphasizing that the action did not happen until that specific moment. While it appears in written Cantonese, it is also used in narrative speech to describe a sequence of events.

Examples

keoi5佢jat1一zik6直m4唔ceot1出seng1聲，kap6及zi3至jau5有jan4人man6問keoi5佢sin1先gong2講。

He kept quiet the whole time, and only spoke when someone asked him.

ngo5我dang2等zo2咗hou2好noi6耐，kap6及zi3至tin1天hak1黑sin1先gin3見dou3到keoi5佢faan1返lai4嚟。

I waited for a long time, and it wasn't until dark that I saw him come back.

Common phrases

kap6及zi3至hau6後loi4來

until later on

kap6及zi3至jyu4如gam1今

up until now

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with 直到, but 及至 carries a stronger literary nuance and is less common in casual, everyday conversation. Avoid using it in simple, direct statements where 到 or 直到 would be more natural and less formal.