The other day, my friend Jean – who runs a series of Italian language immersion trips in Italy – admitted that she was still struggling with the correct usage of the conjunction finché in Italian. Surprised that I hadn’t already covered this word, I promised her I’d make it a priority, so here we are!
finché
as long as / until
The Italian conjunction finché has two main meanings: per tutto il tempo in cui (for the entire time that) and fino al momento in cui (until the moment that). The first meaning generally corresponds to the English as long as or while, whereas the second is always translated as until.
1. Finché = as long as / while
When finché means as long as or while, it describes a situation or state that continues over a period of time. Let’s take a look at a few examples:
Rimarrò qui finché lo vorrai.
I will stay here as long as you want.
Finché c’è vita, c’è speranza.
As long as there’s life, there’s hope.
Finché dorme, è meglio non fare rumore.
While he is sleeping, it’s better not to make noise.
2. Finché = until
When finché indicates an endpoint or change in situation, it is always translated as until in English. For example:
Aspetterò qui finché torni.
I’ll wait here until you come back.
In this case, non is almost always inserted after finché but does not change the meaning of the sentence. This non is called an expletive negation (formally known as a pleonastic negation), meaning it has no real negative value. Take a look at our example phrase, this time with non – as you can see, there is no change in meaning at all.
Aspetterò qui finché non torni.
I’ll wait here until you come back.
Many learners find it difficult to get their heads around the expletive negation but the truth is that examples of this phenomenon exist in other languages too, including English. Take for example the iconic Pink Floyd lyric “We don’t need no education” – we could easily leave out “no” and the meaning wouldn’t really change. If anything, it adds an ounce of emphasis.
Let’s take a look at a few more examples before we bring this article to a close!
Non cominciare finché (non) te lo dico io!
Don’t start until I tell you to.
Ti devo dire una cosa importante, non mi interrompere finché (non) avrò finito.
I have to tell you something important, don’t interrupt me until I’ve finished.
Non si mosse finché (non) mi vide partire.
He didn’t move until he saw me leave.
A few possible synonyms for finché include:
- fintanto che (also written as fintantoché)
- fino a quando
- fino a che
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
