BY vs UNTIL vs THROUGH: Legal and Business Realities Across English, German, Ukrainian, and Russian

Автор: Тимур Левітін
© Tymur Levitin — founder and head teacher of Levitin Language School / Start Language School by Tymur Levitin
Category: Legal Language and Translation

Вступ

Prepositions look tiny, but they move billions. In business and in law, one wrong choice between до, untilабо through can decide whether a payment is late, a contract is breached, or an election filing is valid.

This article digs deeper than grammar. It connects the legal side (contracts, codes, courts) with the business side (deadlines, supply chains, HR, finance). It compares English, German, Ukrainian, and Russian, with special attention to regional practices (US vs UK, Germany vs Switzerland, Ukraine vs Russian usage).

If you ever thought you knew what до means — prepare to be surprised.

1. The Core Distinctions: BY / UNTIL / THROUGH

• BY → deadline, must be finished before the stated point.
• UNTIL → duration, something continues up to and including the endpoint.
• THROUGH (AmE) → explicitly inclusive: the whole day or period is covered.

🔎 Example: Payment must be made by Sept 10

• AmE contract lawyers will often read this as exclusive (must be received before Sept 10 starts).
• In BrE and EU practice, by Sept 10 is often taken as inclusive, unless clarified.
• German: bis spätestens 10. September (includes).
• Ukrainian: не пізніше 10 вересня (includes).
• Russian: не позднее 10 сентября (includes).

2. Business Meets Law: Why Prepositions Matter

• Finance: Wire transfers — does by Sept 10 mean the money must leave your account або arrive in theirs? Banks argue; contracts collapse.
• Supply Chains: Delivery by Sept 10 — truck arrives at 23:59 on Sept 10. Is that on time or late?
• HR: Employment until Sept 10 vs from Sept 10 → defines the last working day.
• IPO / M&A: Securities filings often hinge on до vs until; a wrong interpretation = fines or invalidation.
• Startups: Investors want milestones “by Q3” — founders think “end of Q3,” lawyers think “before Oct 1.”

📌 This is not academic. It’s money, liability, and reputation.

3. Comparative Table with Translations

4. Legal Traps vs Business Reality

4.1 Banking and Payments

• Payment by Sept 10 — is it enough to send the wire on Sept 10, or must it arrive?
  • EN (US): arrival in beneficiary account by deadline.
  • DE: transfer considered made when funds arrive.
  • UA/Russian usage: similar, unless contract states otherwise.

4.2 Employment Contracts

• Terminate employment from Sept 10 → last working day = Sept 9.
• Terminate employment on Sept 10 → last working day = Sept 10.
• Ambiguity costs lawsuits in HR.

4.3 Supply and Delivery

• Goods delivered until Sept 10 — does unloading at 23:59 count?
• Best practice: add exact time and timezone: by Sept 10, 17:00 (Europe/Berlin).

4.4 Court Filings

• File by Sept 10 — US courts often require before the day begins.
• EU courts: inclusive (whole day).
• Ukrainian electoral law: до дня голосування excludes voting day.

5. Regional Variations

• US: through = inclusive; до = exclusive.
• UK: до may be inclusive; safe wording: inclusive of Sept 10.
• Німеччина: bis einschließlich; bis spätestens = “no later than.”
• Швейцарія: bis und mit.
• Україна: до … включно; no к. Electoral law treats до дня голосування as exclusive.
• Russian usage: до = usually inclusive; к = exclusive, softer.

6. Practical Drafting Checklist

1. Always add time and timezone: by Sept 10, 17:00 (Europe/Kyiv).
2. Clarify calendar vs business days.
3. Define what counts as receipt (bank credit, court timestamp, delivery).
4. Avoid bare until with dates — use through або inclusive.
5. In Russian usage, avoid к in contracts; replace with не позднее … або до … включительно.
6. In Ukrainian, remember: к does not exist. Use до … включно або не пізніше ….
7. In German, prefer bis einschließlich або bis spätestens.

7. Business + Legal: The Combined Risk

• Business angle: Deadlines drive operations — missed payments, late shipments, extra storage fees.
• Legal angle: The same deadlines drive liability — lawsuits, fines, invalid filings.

The two cannot be separated. A CFO reading by Sept 10 differently from a lawyer can sink a deal.

Висновок

By, untilі through look like small words. But they decide whether a contract stands, a payment counts, or an election filing is valid.

In business, they decide cash flow, delivery schedules, HR exits, and investment milestones.
In law, they decide rights, duties, and penalties.

Across English, German, Ukrainian, and Russian, the words do not match perfectly. Each has its traps.

The solution is clarity: add time, timezone, inclusivity, and define business days.
Never assume by Sept 10 means the same in New York, Berlin, Kyiv, or in Russian-language usage.

This article gave you the hybrid lens: legal + business. The next steps are deeper dives: From vs Since, Range markers (с … по …, von … bis)і Resignation vs Dismissal.

🔗 Recommended reading: Spatial and Temporal Prepositions in Legal Language: English, German, Ukrainian, and Russian Compared

🌍 Обирайте мову:

• English Language Learning
• German Language Learning
• Ukrainian Language Learning

👤 Author profile: Тимур Левітін

© Tymur Levitin — founder, director, and senior teacher at Levitin Language School / Start Language School by Tymur Levitin