MOMENTS OR PERIODS WITH THE SUFFIX -IG

Let’s ask a question relative to a specific moment:

Mikor kelsz fel?
When do you get up?

Let’s ask a question relative to a specific period:

Meddig maradsz Magyarországon?
How long will you stay in Hungary?

The question Meddig? has a meaning for time (How long?) and place (How far?).

Meddig mész még?
How far are you going?

That is Meddig? = How long? How far?

To express a limit for a distance, the suffix -ig is used, which refers to time and place, and has one form only. If you want to say ’From when to when?’ or ’From where to where?’, then the suffixes –tól, -től are used with -ig.

háromtól hatig – from three to six
reggeltől estig – from morning till night
Keddig még várok. – I’ll wait until Tuesday.
Holnaptól minden megváltozik. – From tomorrow on everything changes.
A vonat öt percig vár. – The train will be waiting five minutes.
Pécstől Pestig megy a vonat. – The train goes from Pécs to Pest.
Elviszlek az iskoláig. – I’ll take you to school.
Torkig vagyok veletek! – I’m fed up with you!

The last sentence literally means: ”I’m up to my throat with you!”

Summary: …-tól, -től…-ig = from…to…

This phenomenon with ’-tól, -től + -ig’ is called TERMINATIVE CASE.