まで – Expressing “Until” and “Up To” in Japanese [JLPT N5]

Quick Summary

• Meaning: まで (made) means “until” or “up to” and shows a limit of time, place, number, or even action.
• How to Use: Put まで after a noun or a clause to show where or when something stops.

Example:

• 先生は明日までゲームをします。
• Sensei wa ashita made gēmu o shimasu.
• The teacher plays games until tomorrow.

Overview

The grammar point まで (made, until; up to) is a very common and useful word in Japanese. You use it to talk about a limit — where something stops in time, space, or amount.

At JLPT N5 level, you will mostly see まで in these ways:

• Time + まで: “until (that time)”
• Place + まで: “up to (that place)”
• Number / amount + まで: “up to (that amount)”
• Verb clause + まで: “until (something happens)” – basic use only

Some examples of meanings:

• Time: 今まで (ima made, until now)
• Place: 駅まで (eki made, up to the station)
• Number: ３時まで (san-ji made, until 3 o’clock)

The nuance of まで is that it gives a clear end point. Before that point, something is OK / continues. At that point, it stops.

For example, if you say:

• 兄は３時まで寝ます。
• Ani wa san-ji made nemasu.
• My big brother sleeps until three o’clock.

It means: from now (or from some starting time) up to 3:00, your brother is sleeping, and at 3:00, he stops.

In everyday conversation, まで is very flexible:

• You can use it with hours, days, dates: ９時まで, 日曜日まで, 三月まで
• You can use it with places: 東京まで, 家まで, 海まで
• You can even use it in more “emotional” ways, like “even this much” – but that is a more advanced nuance and not necessary yet for N5.

For now, focus on this simple idea: まで = the end of something.

Structure / Formation

Basic Patterns

Here are the most common patterns you need at beginner level:

• Time + まで
• Place + まで
• Num + Ctr + まで
• Clause + まで (simple “until (something happens)”)

We can show them using the shorthand forms:

• N (Time) + まで
• N (Place) + まで
• Num + Ctr + まで
• Clause + まで

In all of these, まで comes directly after the word or clause that is the limit.

Using まで with Time

This is the most basic and most important use. Put まで after a time word to say “until (that time)”.

• N (Time) + まで + V

Examples of N (Time):

• ９時 (ku-ji, 9 o’clock)
• 明日 (ashita, tomorrow)
• 来週 (raishū, next week)
• 今日 (kyō, today)

Pattern examples:

• ９時まで勉強します。
• Ku-ji made benkyou shimasu.
• I study until nine o’clock.

• 今日まで宿題をしません。
• Kyō made shukudai o shimasen.
• I don’t do homework until today. (I only finally do it today.)

Notice how まで marks the last time when the action continues or the time when the situation changes.

Using まで with Place

When you put まで after a place, it means “up to (that place)” – often used with movement verbs like 行きます (ikimasu, to go), 来ます (kimasu, to come), or 帰ります (kaerimasu, to go home).

• N (Place) + まで + V

Examples of N (Place):

• 駅 (eki, station)
• 学校 (gakkou, school)
• 家 (ie, home)
• 東京 (Tōkyō, Tokyo)

Pattern examples:

• 友だちは歩いて月まで行きます。
• Tomodachi wa aruite tsuki made ikimasu.
• My friend goes to the moon on foot.

• おばあさんは公園まで走ります。
• Obaasan wa kouen made hashirimasu.
• Grandma runs up to the park.

Here, まで shows the final destination point of the movement.

Using まで with Numbers and Amounts

You can also mark a limit of amount with まで: “up to (this many / this much)”. This is usually used with numbers and counters.

• Num + Ctr + まで

Common counters at N5 level:

• 〜人 (〜nin, counter for people)
• 〜枚 (〜mai, counter for flat objects)
• 〜時 (〜ji, o’clock)

Pattern examples:

• この部屋に１０人まで入ります。
• Kono heya ni juu-nin made hairimasu.
• Up to ten people can enter this room.

• ケーキは２枚までです。
• Kēki wa ni-mai made desu.
• You can have up to two slices of cake.

In these sentences, まで sets a maximum limit.

Using まで with a Clause (Until something happens)

You can also attach まで to a simple clause to say “until (something happens)”. At N5, keep the clause short and in plain form (V-る).

• Clause (V-る) + まで + V / です

Pattern examples:

• 雨がやむまで、犬は歌います。
• Ame ga yamu made, inu wa utaimasu.
• Until the rain stops, the dog sings.

• ロボットが起きるまで待ちます。
• Robotto ga okiru made machimasu.
• I wait until the robot wakes up.

Here, the clause before まで (雨がやむ, ロボットが起きる) is the condition that marks the end. The action in the main part (犬は歌います, 待ちます) continues until that condition is true.

Quick Pattern Table

Use	Formula	Example (Japanese)	Meaning
Time	N (Time) + まで	１０時まで起きます。	I stay awake until ten o’clock.
Place	N (Place) + まで	川まで歩きます。	I walk up to the river.
Amount	Num + Ctr + まで	本は３冊までです。	You can have up to three books.
Clause	Clause (V-る) + まで	先生が来るまで話します。	We talk until the teacher comes.

Usage Tips

Here are a few simple tips to use まで correctly at beginner level:

• Put まで directly after the time, place, or number that is the limit. Do not add particles like に or へ after まで.
• Do not confuse まで (until) with から (kara, from). You can use both together, like ３時から５時まで (san-ji kara go-ji made, from 3 to 5).
• With clauses, keep the verb in plain form (V-る) before まで for now: 食べるまで, 終わるまで, 行くまで.

Example combining everything:

• 弟は７時から１２時まで図書館まで歩きます。
• Otouto wa shichi-ji kara juu-ni-ji made toshokan made arukimasu.
• My little brother walks to the library from seven o’clock until twelve o’clock.

Example Sentences

• ロボットは夜の１２時までダンスをします。
• Robotto wa yoru no juu-ni-ji made dansu o shimasu.
• The robot dances until midnight.

• 王様は月曜日から金曜日までゲームセンターにいます。
• Ōsama wa getsuyōbi kara kin-yōbi made gēmu sentā ni imasu.
• The king is at the game arcade from Monday until Friday.

• このエレベーターは３階までしか行きません。
• Kono erebētā wa san-kai made shika ikimasen.
• This elevator goes only up to the third floor.

• ペンギンはケーキを５個まで食べます。
• Pengin wa kēki o go-ko made tabemasu.
• The penguin eats up to five pieces of cake.

• 先生が笑うまで、クラスは静かです。
• Sensei ga warau made, kurasu wa shizuka desu.
• Until the teacher laughs, the class is quiet.

Quick Practice

(Answers and explanations are right under this section.)

Multiple-Choice

1. Choose the best sentence: “I play games until 10 o’clock.”

• A. １０時からゲームをします。(Juu-ji kara gēmu o shimasu.)
• B. １０時やゲームをします。(Juu-ji ya gēmu o shimasu.)
• C. １０時とゲームをします。(Juu-ji to gēmu o shimasu.)
• D. １０時までゲームをします。(Juu-ji made gēmu o shimasu.)

2. Choose the correct sentence that uses 「まで」 for place.

• A. 学校と歩きます。(Gakkou to arukimasu.)
• B. 学校まで歩きます。(Gakkou made arukimasu.)
• C. 学校でも歩きます。(Gakkou demo arukimasu.)
• D. 学校や歩きます。(Gakkou ya arukimasu.)

3. Choose the sentence that means “From 3 o’clock until 5 o’clock, Grandpa watches anime.”

• A. ３時と５時まで、おじいさんはアニメを見ます。(San-ji to go-ji made, ojii-san wa anime o mimasu.)
• B. ３時から５時と、おじいさんはアニメを見ます。(San-ji kara go-ji to, ojii-san wa anime o mimasu.)
• C. ３時から５時まで、おじいさんはアニメを見ます。(San-ji kara go-ji made, ojii-san wa anime o mimasu.)
• D. ３時まで５時から、おじいさんはアニメを見ます。(San-ji made go-ji kara, ojii-san wa anime o mimasu.)

4. Choose the correct sentence that uses 「まで」 with a number/amount.

• A. 猫は３本と魚を食べます。(Neko wa san-bon to sakana o tabemasu.)
• B. 猫は魚を３本まで食べます。(Neko wa sakana o san-bon made tabemasu.)
• C. 猫は魚を３本や食べます。(Neko wa sakana o san-bon ya tabemasu.)
• D. 猫は魚を３本でも食べます。(Neko wa sakana o san-bon demo tabemasu.)

5. Choose the sentence that correctly uses 「まで」 with a clause (V-る) to mean “until the movie ends.”

• A. 映画が終わるまで、ポップコーンを食べます。(Eiga ga owaru made, poppukōn o tabemasu.)
• B. 映画が終わってまで、ポップコーンを食べます。(Eiga ga owatte made, poppukōn o tabemasu.)
• C. 映画が終わりますまで、ポップコーンを食べます。(Eiga ga owarimasu made, poppukōn o tabemasu.)
• D. 映画が終わるから、ポップコーンを食べます。(Eiga ga owaru kara, poppukōn o tabemasu.)

Spot-the-Error

6. One sentence has an error with 「まで」. Which one is incorrect?

• A. ロボットは朝まで寝ます。(Robotto wa asa made nemasu.)
• B. 先生は７時から９時までにいます。(Sensei wa shichi-ji kara ku-ji made ni imasu.)
• C. 私は駅まで走ります。(Watashi wa eki made hashirimasu.)

7. One sentence has an error with 「まで」 and the verb form before it. Which one is incorrect?

• A. 雨が止むまで、公園にいます。(Ame ga yamu made, kouen ni imasu.)
• B. 兄が帰るまで、テレビを見ます。(Ani ga kaeru made, terebi o mimasu.)
• C. 猫が起きますまで、本を読みます。(Neko ga okimasu made, hon o yomimasu.)

Translation

8. Translate into Japanese using 「まで」: “The alien studies Japanese until midnight.”

9. Translate into Japanese using 「まで」: “We walk up to the river.”

10. Translate into Japanese using 「まで」: “Until Mom comes, the dog is quiet.”

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Answers and Explanations

1. １０時までゲームをします。(Juu-ji made gēmu o shimasu.) – 「まで」 correctly marks １０時 as the end time (“until 10 o’clock”).
2. 学校まで歩きます。(Gakkou made arukimasu.) – 「まで」 after a place word shows the end point of movement (“up to the school”).
3. ３時から５時まで、おじいさんはアニメを見ます。(San-ji kara go-ji made, ojii-san wa anime o mimasu.) – 「から」 marks the start time and 「まで」 marks the end time.
4. 猫は魚を３本まで食べます。(Neko wa sakana o san-bon made tabemasu.) – 「３本まで」 shows the maximum amount the cat eats (“up to three fish”).
5. 映画が終わるまで、ポップコーンを食べます。(Eiga ga owaru made, poppukōn o tabemasu.) – The verb before 「まで」 is in plain form (終わる), which is the correct clause + まで pattern.
6. 先生は７時から９時までにいます。(Sensei wa shichi-ji kara ku-ji made ni imasu.) – 「まで」 should not be followed by に here; it should be 「７時から９時までいます」 without に.
7. 猫が起きますまで、本を読みます。(Neko ga okimasu made, hon o yomimasu.) – The verb before 「まで」 must be plain form, so it should be 「猫が起きるまで」 instead of 「起きますまで」.
8. エイリアンは夜の１２時まで日本語を勉強します。(Eirian wa yoru no juu-ni-ji made Nihongo o benkyou shimasu.) – 「夜の１２時まで」 marks “until midnight” as the time limit of studying.
9. 川まで歩きます。(Kawa made arukimasu.) – 「川まで」 shows the end point of walking (“up to the river”).
10. お母さんが来るまで、犬は静かです。(Okaasan ga kuru made, inu wa shizuka desu.) – The clause 「お母さんが来る」 before 「まで」 shows the condition that marks the end of the quiet state.