JLPT N5 Grammar: まで (made) — “Until / As Far As” Particle

JLPT N5 Grammar: まで (made)

Q: What's the difference between まで and までに?

まで marks an activity that continues until a point (e.g., ５時まで待つ = wait until 5). までに marks a deadline for a one‑time action (５時までに提出する = submit by 5).

Q: Can まで be used with places?

Yes, it means 'as far as'. 駅まで歩く = walk to (as far as) the station.

The endpoint particle — “until / as far as / up to”

JLPTジェイエルピーティー N5エヌゴ文法ぶんぽう助詞じょし「まで」解説かいせつ (終点しゅうてん・限界げんかい)

⏱️ Study time: 4–6 minutes

まで (made) marks an endpoint in time or space. It means “until”, “as far as”, or “up to”. Paired with から (from), it creates the range pattern から〜まで (from ~ to ~). Use まで to say when something ends, how far you go, or even the extent of something.

🚀 JLPT N5 Warm-up Quiz

Q: How do you say “I will wait until 5 o’clock”?

Answer: B (5時まで待ちます). まで marks the endpoint (until 5). A (から) means “from 5”, C (に) marks a specific time point, not a duration.

Quick Summary

Grammar Point
まで

Meaning
“until / as far as / up to”

Pattern
Noun + まで + Predicate
から + Noun + まで (range)

Example
駅えきまで歩あるきます。えきまであるきます。Eki made arukimasu.
I'll walk to the station. (as far as)

📝 Core Patterns with まで

Endpoint (time/place): Noun + まで + Verb / です

Range: Noun + から + Noun + まで (from ~ to ~)

Extent / degree: Verb (plain) + まで + する / になる (even go so far as to…)

⚠️ まで marks the limit. Use に for a punctual destination, まで for the whole span or endpoint.

🧠 Need the starting point? See から (kara) →

💡 Toggle furigana, hiragana, or romaji for easier reading.

What is まで?

まで is the endpoint particle. It marks the limit or boundary of an action or state in time or space. It translates to “until”, “as far as”, or “up to”.

For time: 5時ごじまで = until 5 o’clock.
For place: 駅えきまで = as far as the station.
Often paired with から to form a full range: 9時くじから5時ごじまで = from 9 to 5.

明日あしたまでにレポートを出だしてください。あしたまでにれぽーとをだしてください。Ashita made ni repōto o dashite kudasai.
Please submit the report by tomorrow. (deadline)

⚡ Main Uses of まで

Use	Pattern	Example
Time endpoint	Time + まで + Verb	5時ごじまで働はたらきます。ごじまではたらきます。Goji made hatarakimasu. I work until 5.
Place endpoint	Place + まで + Movement Verb	駅えきまで歩あるきます。えきまであるきます。Eki made arukimasu. I walk as far as the station.
Range (から〜まで)	Noun + から + Noun + まで	月曜日げつようびから金曜日きんようびまで

Examples & Mini Dialogue

東京とうきょうまでどのくらいかかりますか。とうきょうまでどのくらいかかりますか。Tōkyō made donokurai kakarimasu ka.
How long does it take to get to Tokyo?

✅ まで marks the destination endpoint.

昨日きのうの夜よる12時じまで勉強べんきょうしました。きのうのよるじゅうにじまでべんきょうしました。Kinō no yoru jūniji made benkyō shimashita.
I studied until midnight last night.

🗣️ Mini Dialogue
A: 夏休なつやすみはいつからいつまでですか。なつやすみはいつからいつまでですか。Natsuyasumi wa itsu kara itsu made desu ka.
B: 7月しちがつ20日はつかから8月はちがつ31日さんじゅういちにちまでです。しちがつはつかからはちがつさんじゅういちにちまでです。Shichigatsu hatsuka kara hachigatsu sanjūichinichi made desu.

⚡ まで vs に / へ — Quick Contrast

Particle	Meaning	Example
まで (made)	Until / as far as (endpoint)	東京とうきょうまで行いく (go as far as Tokyo)
に (ni)	Destination point / specific time	東京とうきょうに行いく (go to Tokyo); ３時さんじに (at 3 o’clock)
へ (e)	Direction towards	東京とうきょうへ行いく (head towards Tokyo)

⚠️ Critical JLPT Trap: Don’t confuse までに (deadline: “by”) with まで (duration “until”). 明日あしたまで means “until tomorrow”; 明日あしたまでに means “by tomorrow”.

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

✕ 駅えきにまで歩あるきます。

✓ 駅えきまで歩あるきます。 (まで directly follows the noun; don’t add に before まで for the endpoint.)

✕ 明日あしたまでレポートを出だしてください。 (if a deadline)

✓ 明日あしたまでにレポートを出だしてください。 (までに means “by”, a one‑time action.)

✕ ５時ごじまでに待まちます。

✓ ５時ごじまで待まちます。 (Continuous action “wait” uses まで, not までに.)

JLPT N5 Practice Questions

Score: 0 / 3

1. “I study from 9 to 5.” Choose the correct particles.

2. “Please submit by Friday.” Which form is correct?

3. “I’ll walk as far as the park.” Select the correct sentence.

🎯 JLPT N5 tip: までに (“by”) vs まで (“until”) is tested every year. If the action is a single event with a deadline, use までに. If it’s something that continues, use まで.

Test yourself with a free mock exam →

About the Instructor

Taught by Anup Sensei at Gogaku Language & Training Center in Pokhara. With real Japan experience and a focus on exam essentials, he helps students pass the JLPT with confidence.

Related Grammar

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between まで and までに?

まで marks an activity that continues until a point (e.g., ５時ごじまで待まつ = wait until 5). までに marks a deadline for a one‑time action (５時ごじまでに提出ていしゅつする = submit by 5).

Can まで be used with places?

Yes, it means “as far as”. 駅えきまで歩あるく = walk to (as far as) the station.

Is から〜まで formal?

No, から〜まで is neutral and can be used in both casual and formal settings.

Continue Learning

Next: に (ni) — destination & time particle.

Learn に →

→ Explore the JLPT N5 Grammar Hub

Ready to Pass JLPT N5 with Confidence?

Join Anup Sensei's intensive course at Gogaku Language & Training Center, Pokhara. Small batches, real conversation, mock tests, and full grammar mastery.

Join Now – www.gogakueducation.com

🎌 Free JLPT Mock Test