Usage of "hasta" in time phrases

Question

How does hasta translate in the following sentence?

Acá viví hasta los veinte años.

Which of the following would be the appropriate way to read it?

1. I lived here for 20 years.

2. I lived here until I was 20.

Answer 1

The second one. Hasta is used to denote a period of time, but it conveys the meaning of until, not for.

Hasta can have different meanings:

• until / till

Me voy a quedar en España hasta el final de las navidades _{I'm going to stay in Spain until the end of Christmas}

Nos quedamos hasta el final _{We stayed till the very end}

• up to

Llené el vaso hasta arriba _{I filled the glass up to the top}

• down to

La temperatura cayó hasta los -10 grados _{Temperature drop down to -10 degrees}

A veces se pasa hasta una hora viendo la tele _{Sometimes he spends up to one hour watching tv}

• as far as

Los pájaros volaron hasta el horizonte _{The birds flew as far as the horizon}

• even

Hasta mi propio hermano cree que grito mucho _{Even my own brother thinks I yell too much}

Hasta los niños saben eso _{Even toddlers know that}

• including

Limpió (toda la casa) hasta el garaje _{He cleaned everything, including the garage}