Q:

Usage of "hasta" in time phrases

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.

A:

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 

