Finché(for the time that...) appears in a famous Italian saying, which says…
Finché c’è vita c’è speranza.
While there is life there is hope.
Italian Articles
How to use ‘finché,’ ‘finché non,’ and ‘fino a’ in Italian?
By: Miriam Muccione Fri Aug 30 2024
ItalianConjunctions
In Italian finché means “as long as” or “while,” while finché non and fino a usually translate to “until.” These conjunctions can be a bit tricky for learners of Italian for a couple reasons:
Finché and finché non look alike, but have different meanings. Finché non is not just the negative finché.
Finché ero al mare, ero rilassato.
As long as/ While I was at the seaside, I was relaxed.
Ho visto la tv finché non mi sono addormentato.
I watched tv until I fell asleep.
Finché non and fino a usually both translate to “until,” but they’re not always interchangeable.
In this post, we’ll go through these three Italian conjunctions and show you how to use each one, what makes them similar, and what makes them different! Let’s dive into the post to look closely at the difference between finché, finché non, and fino a!
Table of Contents
How to use ‘finché’ in Italian?
The temporal conjunctionNo definition set for conjunctionLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. finché means per tutto il tempo che…(for the entire time that...) and in English it can be translated with “as long as” or “while.”
Finché Fede ha vissuto a Roma, ci vedevamo ogni fine settimana.
While Fede lived in Rome, we met every weekend.
lit. For the time that Fede lived…
This sentence means that for the entire time Fede lived in Rome, we would see each other every weekend.
Remember that because finché is a conjunction, it links the main clauseNo definition set for main clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to a subordinate clauseNo definition set for subordinate clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in a two part sentence. In terms of temporality, both clauses are parallel to each other:
subordinate clausemain clause
Finché Fede ha vissuto a Roma, ci vedevamo ogni fine settimana.
Tip
How to use ‘finché non’ in Italian?
The temporal conjunction finché non is followed by a conjugated verbNo definition set for conjugated verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and it indicates that the action in the main clause lasts until another action interrupts it. In fact, the full meaning of finché non in Italian is fino al momento in cui…(until the moment when...), but we usually translate it into English with just the word “until.”
subordinate clausemain clause
La polizia ha interrogato il ladro, finché non ha rivelato il nome dei suoi complici.
The police questioned the thief until he revealed the names of his accomplices.
Important
Subordinate clauses with finché non have the verb in the indicative moodNo definition set for indicative moodLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. when the clause refers to the present or past (as the example above).
However, when there is doubt or the subordinate clause, as when with finché non refers to the future, the subjunctive mood is required instead:
subjunctive
Dobbiamo aspettare qui finché non vengano a prenderci.
We have to wait here until they come to pick us up.
Is ‘finché non’ a negative expression?
Finché non is not the negative of finché, so beware of the negative non(not)! Remember:
Finché means per tutto il tempo in cui…(for the entire time that...)→ as long as/while
Finché non means fino al momento in cui…(until the moment when...) → until
Here’s something extra tricky about this pair: Though if you’re speaking carefully, the negative non(not) in finché non is very important, in everyday life, Italian speakers will often drop the nonso that these two different conjunctions sound the same: finché vs. finché (non)! This can generate some confusion for people who are learning Italian.
So, for instance, someone might say the sentence, Ho dormito finché non ha suonato la sveglia without the non as:
Ho dormito finché ha suonato la sveglia.
I slept until the alarm went off.
It is only thanks to the context of the sentence that here finché is really finché non(until)!
What are some synonyms of ‘finché’ and ‘finché non’?
Finché and finché non have some synonyms that follow the same rules.
The most common are fin quando and fin quando non. The difference between fin quando and fin quando non is the same as the difference between finché and finché non! Fin quando by itself means "as long as" or "while," whereas fin quando non means "until."
fin quando(as long as, while):
Fin quando means per tutto il tempo in cui…(for the entire time that...)
Fin quando abitavamo in centro, facevamo lunghe passeggiate.
While we lived downtown, we took long walks.
→ This sentence means that during the time we were living downtown, we used to take long walks.fin quando non(until):
Fin quando non means fino al momento in cui… (until the moment when…), but we usually just translate it as "until."
Fin quando non siamo andati a vivere in centro, facevavamo lunghe passeggiate.
Until we went to live downtown, we took long walks.
→ This sentence means that before living downtown we used to take long walks; and that once we moved downtown we stopped doing it.
However, the expressions fino a che, fino a quando, and fintantoché (also spelled fintanto che) are also synonyms of finché and fin quando and follow the same rules! If you use them without non they mean "as long as" or "while," but if you use them with non they mean "until!"
Expression | Example |
|---|---|
fino a che | Fino a che vai in moto, indossa il casco protettivo. As long as/while you drive your motorcycle, wear a protective helmet. |
fino a che non | Cammineremo fino a che non saremo arrivati in cima a quella montagna. We will walk until we get to the top of that mountain. |
Expression | Example |
|---|---|
fino a quando | Fino a quando vivi lontano dai mezzi pubblici, dovrai prendere la macchina. As long as/while you live away from public transport, you will have to take the car. |
fino a quando non | Cuocete la pasta fino a quando non sarà al dente. Cook the pasta until it is al dente. |
Expression | Example |
|---|---|
fintantoché | Questo prodotto sarà efficace fintantoché lo utilizzi. This product will be effective as long as/while you use it. |
fintantoché non | Non ti ho potuto chiamare, fintantoché non ho caricato il telefono. I couldn't call you until I charged the phone. |
Important
A few of the synonyms of finché contain the phrase fino a, (e.g. fino a che or fino a quando). But be careful! By itself, the phrase fino a is not always a synonym of finché!
Keep reading to find out more!
How to use ‘fino a’?
Fino a(until, up to) is a phrasal prepositionNo definition set for prepositionLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. used to introduce the end point or the limit (in time, space, and so on) of an action. As it is a preposition, fino a must always come before a nounNo definition set for nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or noun phraseNo definition set for noun phraseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., not a clause!
So even though fino a and finché non both translate to "until," they aren’t, because fino a comes before a noun while finché non comes before a clauseNo definition set for clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
Tip
It is important to note that, when used by itself, fino a is different from fino a che and fino a quando.
Let’s take a look at how fino a works when it expresses temporal limits, and then we can check how it is also used to express spatial and quantitative limits.
fino a + time
When used before a time, fino a gives a stopping point in time, fino a(up to) answers the question fino a quando?(until when? up to when?)
Non sapevo chi fosse Gino fino a ieri.
I didn't know who Gino was until yesterday.
Il negozio è aperto fino alle otto.
The shop is open until eight.
Tip
Note that even if fino a and finché non both mean "until," fino a is usually followed by a noun or an adverb, while finché non and its synonyms (fin quando non, finché non, fintantoché non) by a conjugated verb.
Luca resterà a Palermo fino a domenica.
Luca will stay in Palermo until Sunday.
→ noun
Franco era a casa con l’influenza fino a stamattina.
Franco was at home with the flu until this morning.
→ adverb
Franco è stato a casa con l’influenza finché non si è sentito meglio.
Franco was at home with the flu until he felt better.
→ verb
fino a + location / distance
When used before a location, fino a gives a physical stopping point for movement or a distance at which the movement or measurement will stop. Fino a + location answers the question fino a dove?(up to where? / how far?)
Abbiamo guidato fino a Firenze, poi abbiamo preso il treno.
We drove to Florence, then took the train.
lit. We drove up to Florence, then took the train.
I pastori tedeschi possono sentire gli odori fino a cinque metri di distanza.
German Shepherds smell scents up to five meters away.
fino a + quantity
When used before a quantity, fino aplaces a top limit on the amount of something that can be added. So fino a + quantity answers the question fino a quanti/e?(up to how much? / up to how many?)
Situata in aperta campagna, la villa può ospitare fino a dieci persone.
Located in the open countryside, the villa can accommodate up to ten people.
Con questa carta puoi pagare contactless fino a venti euro.
With this card you can pay contactless up to twenty euros.
fino a and limits
Fino a is also used when limits are (sometimes excessive) actions. In this case it can be followed by an infinitive.
Al cenone di Natale, abbiamo mangiato fino a star male.
At the Christmas dinner, we ate until we felt sick.
Durante il film ho riso fino a piangere.
During the film, I laughed until I cried.
Tip
Note that since fino a is formed with the preposition a(to, at). When the word that follows it is a noun that has a definite articleNo definition set for definite articleLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (il, lo, l’, i, gli, la, le), you will have to use the preposition a in combination with the article. This is called an articulated preposition.
Facciamo una passeggiata fino alla collina?
Shall we take a walk up the hill?
Non cambieranno casa fino al prossimo anno.
They won't move house until next year.
Want to learn more Italian conjunctions and prepositions? Then head over to these posts: What are the Italian conjunctions? and How to use Italian prepositions?
To sum up
Finché and finché non are different temporal conjunctions with different meanings:
Finché means per tutto il tempo che, equivalent of the English “as long as / while"
Finché non means fino al momento in cui, equivalent of the English “until”
Although to say “until” we say finché non, sometimes Italians drop the non(not) and just say finché. Do not worry, though: the context of the sentence usually helps tell how finché is used.
Fin quando, fino a che, fino a quando, and fintantoché are all synonyms of finché and, therefore, they all change meaning when followed by non(not).
Fino a means “until,” but it’s a preposition, so it’s used before a noun and not a clause!
Ready to practice finché, finché non, and fino a? Follow the link!
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