Hasta que no....
Por favor, necesito ayuda en este ejemplo:
Pero Julio no se había dado cuenta de la importancia que todo aquello tenía para él hasta el ultimo fin de semana, hasta que no había faltado Laura a la cita del viernes. - El desorden de tu nobre (Leer en Espanol)
Now in the context of the book, I believe the sentence is referring to the fact that Laura had missed the meeting/date. But I read this as being two negatives making a positive - with the word 'no' implying that she had NOT missed the date.
I am finding faltar to be a tricky verb, with google translator confusing me further (the negative/positive of the sentences changes with the capitalization of the H in habia...) .
Could someone please shed some light on why the sentence is not (or if im way off base...):
...hasta que había faltado Laura a la cita del viernes.
4 Answers
Hasta que no is a special construction in Spanish and it often implies the opposite of what it seems at first sight.
Hasta que no le dejó no se dio cuenta que la quería.
I think this is a very clear example, very similar to your sentence.
Only when she left him did he realize how much he loved her.
Solo cuando le dejó se dio cuenta.....
Hasta que no limpies tu cuarto, no sales. -> Mientras no limpies tu cuarto, no sales. -> Hasta que limpies tu cuarto, no sales.
So the phrase 'hasta que no...' literally translates to the english equivalent 'not until'?
As in 'not until she missed the appointment did he realize...'
Thank you so much Heidita, this is not the first time I have found this construction and definitely will not be the last!! perhaps I should change the post name to 'hasta que no...'!
with google translator confusing me further (the negative/positive of the sentences changes with the capitalization of the H in habia
That would be because if you capitalize the H the translator takes it to be the beginning of a sentence and makes your sentence without the no.
Había faltado Laura a la cita del viernes.
Laura had missed the Friday meeting.
Don't capitalize the h and the translator includes the no its translation of the sentence.
I agree with your argument. It seems to be a typo, that the "no" should not be there.
It's not outside the realm of possibiltiy, however, that her making the meeting was what made him realize how much that she had for him. Perhaps she had planned to miss the meeting due to a conflict in scheduling and at the last minute was able to "not miss the meeting". A stretch, at best.
Good information as usual! Thanks! 
