<blockquote>
  <p>我沒知道存有椰子火鍋到他吃爲止。他吃椰子時(到)我沒知道此存有爲止。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There are a couple of things that needs to be addressed about the sentence - unfortunately, in its current state, it is not legible.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Chinese doesn't use the equivalent of English <em>I never knew</em> (我「沒」知道) - we usually say <em>I didn't know</em> (我「不」知道) or <em>I've never heard of</em> (我沒聽說過).</p></li>
<li><p>「存有」is an exceedingly specialised philosophical term; to literally say <em>exists</em> in everyday language, the term is「存在」. An example sentence might be</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Ｘ（這種東西）不存在。</p>
  
  <p><em>There's no such thing as X</em>.</p>
</blockquote></li>
<li><p>The use of「爲止」here is problematic, and others have addressed how to use this term correctly.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Using something natural like @xbh's example</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>在他吃之前我都不知道還有椰子火鍋</p>
  
  <p><em>Before he ate coconut hot pot, I never knew it existed.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>is recommended, but as an exercise in using「爲止」, you can construct a grammatically correct statement like</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我朋友剛剛吃了椰子火鍋。「到目前爲止」，我還不知道有這種東西。</p>
  
  <p><em>My friend just ate coconut hot pot. <strong>Up until now</strong>, I didn't know there was such a thing.</em></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T19:13:41.190Z
Thank you for using the word . I will study.
Abe Shudug
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T12:11:28.690Z
2018-10-15T12:19:32.673Z
2018-10-15T12:19:32.673Z
dROOOze
<p>@xbh has provided the sentences that native speakers would put in this context. </p>

<p>On the other hand, the common way to use 为止 is to put it into the structure 到...为止. Eg. 到目前为止; 到今天为止; 到这里为止;etc. In English, we can use <strong>till</strong> to interpret it. Eg. <em>Till now/today/this point</em>. </p>

<p>Hope this can help.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T19:18:06.170Z
Is that at the start or end of the sentence?  For example:  到目前为止我没有用过那字对了。　　我从不功能错到poor example为止。
Abe Shudug
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T22:42:51.190Z
@AbeShudug Usually at the beginning of the sentence just like your first sentence: 到目前为止，我没用对过一个字。
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T10:13:55.947Z
2018-10-15T10:13:55.947Z
dan
<p>我没知道存有椰子火锅到他吃为止。
他吃椰子时(到)我没知道此存有为止。</p>

<p>I am trying to formalize my grammar.
Are either sentences acceptable.
Would someone know what I am saying?
I am not sure if I have to include the Time Phrase first or if I can leave the subject as 我 and then the independent clause would be 我没知道存有椰子火锅.</p>

<p>May someone please tell me if these sentences make sense and how I would appropriately say this sentence?  Maybe give a few examples if there are certain variations one may use in this structure.</p>

<p>I am trying to say "I didn't know there existed a coconut hot pot until he ate it/was eating it."</p>

<p>The situation is I didn't know this existed and then I saw that one Instagram video with that caption about YE ZI .</p>

<p>Could someone help correct my sentences and perhaps give me a new way of explaining this using WEI ZHI.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T06:22:27.753Z
what is WEI ZHI?
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T07:39:53.227Z
@TangHo ”为止“吧。。。
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T07:47:12.577Z
Sorry, but neither of  your sentences is acceptable. A possible expression: 我从不知道有椰子火锅的存在，直到看见他吃。
Toosky Hierot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T07:55:01.917Z
Note that 为止 isn't equal to until In English. One important difference is not...until... cannot be translated into 不/没/other negative words ...为止
Toosky Hierot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T09:40:04.677Z
A natural way to say that is "在他吃之前我都不知道还有椰子火锅", or "直到他吃椰子火锅的时候我才知道有这东西". We use the combination 为止 frequently when we use 到此为止 to say "this is over for now". We usually translate "not A until B" as "直到 B 才 A".
xbh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T19:11:14.380Z
Thank you for all of the solutions.  The most appropriate one for my situation is in deed 在他吃之前我都不知道还有椰子火锅.
Abe Shudug
<grammar>
Using the word 为止 (with a time phrase)
# Using the word 为止 (with a time phrase)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-15)

我没知道存有椰子火锅到他吃为止。
他吃椰子时(到)我没知道此存有为止。

I am trying to formalize my grammar.
Are either sentences acceptable.
Would someone know what I am saying?
I am not sure if I have to include the Time Phrase first or if I can leave the subject as 我 and then the independent clause would be 我没知道存有椰子火锅.

May someone please tell me if these sentences make sense and how I would appropriately say this sentence? Maybe give a few examples if there are certain variations one may use in this structure.

I am trying to say "I didn't know there existed a coconut hot pot until he ate it/was eating it."

The situation is I didn't know this existed and then I saw that one Instagram video with that caption about YE ZI .

Could someone help correct my sentences and perhaps give me a new way of explaining this using WEI ZHI.

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: what is WEI ZHI?  
> **username_2**: @TangHo ”为止“吧。。。  
> **username_3**: Sorry, but neither of  your sentences is acceptable. A possible expression: 我从不知道有椰子火锅的存在，直到看见他吃。  
> **username_3**: Note that 为止 isn't equal to until In English. One important difference is not...until... cannot be translated into 不/没/other negative words ...为止  
> **username_4**: A natural way to say that is "在他吃之前我都不知道还有椰子火锅", or "直到他吃椰子火锅的时候我才知道有这东西". We use the combination 为止 frequently when we use 到此为止 to say "this is over for now". We usually translate "not A until B" as "直到 B 才 A".  
> **username_0**: Thank you for all of the solutions.  The most appropriate one for my situation is in deed 在他吃之前我都不知道还有椰子火锅.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-10-15. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> 我沒知道存有椰子火鍋到他吃爲止。他吃椰子時(到)我沒知道此存有爲止。

There are a couple of things that needs to be addressed about the sentence - unfortunately, in its current state, it is not legible.

1. Chinese doesn't use the equivalent of English *I never knew* (我「沒」知道) - we usually say *I didn't know* (我「不」知道) or *I've never heard of* (我沒聽說過).
2. 「存有」is an exceedingly specialised philosophical term; to literally say *exists* in everyday language, the term is「存在」. An example sentence might be

   > Ｘ（這種東西）不存在。
   >
   > *There's no such thing as X*.
3. The use of「爲止」here is problematic, and others have addressed how to use this term correctly.

Using something natural like @username_4's example

> 在他吃之前我都不知道還有椰子火鍋
>
> *Before he ate coconut hot pot, I never knew it existed.*

is recommended, but as an exercise in using「爲止」, you can construct a grammatically correct statement like

> 我朋友剛剛吃了椰子火鍋。「到目前爲止」，我還不知道有這種東西。
>
> *My friend just ate coconut hot pot. **Up until now**, I didn't know there was such a thing.*

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you for using the word . I will study.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2018-10-15. Score: 1

@username_4 has provided the sentences that native speakers would put in this context.

On the other hand, the common way to use 为止 is to put it into the structure 到...为止. Eg. 到目前为止; 到今天为止; 到这里为止;etc. In English, we can use **till** to interpret it. Eg. *Till now/today/this point*.

Hope this can help.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Is that at the start or end of the sentence?  For example:  到目前为止我没有用过那字对了。　　我从不功能错到poor example为止。  
> **username_6**: @AbeShudug Usually at the beginning of the sentence just like your first sentence: 到目前为止，我没用对过一个字。  

---

