Japanese Grammar: まで (made)

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Japanese Grammar: まで (made)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘Until’ or ‘as far as’ (denoting a limit in time or space).

🎯 Primary Function

To indicate the terminal point of a time period, a physical distance, or a process.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Dictionary Form) + まで
Not applicable (typically follows Nouns)
Not applicable (typically follows Nouns)
Not applicable

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used in business hours, appointment scheduling, and formal directions.

😊 Informal Situations

Used commonly in daily conversation for travel plans and daily routines.

✍️ Written Language

Standard use in schedules, signs, and instructions.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common; used to define ‘how long’ or ‘how far’.

💡 Common Applications

Time Limits
Used to indicate the end point of a continuous action or state.
Example: 3時まで休みます (I will rest until 3:00).
Spatial Limits/Destination
Used to indicate the physical destination or the extent of a journey.
Example: 新宿まで行きます (I will go as far as Shinjuku).
Combined with ‘Kara’
Used frequently with ‘kara’ (from) to show a range from start to finish.
Example: 月曜日から金曜日まで (From Monday until Friday).
📊
Frequency
Very High
🎚️
Difficulty
N5 (Beginner)
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N5 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N5 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
9時から5時まで働きます。
Furigana: くじからごじまではたらきます。
Romaji: Kuji kara goji made hatarakimasu.
English: I work from 9 o’clock until 5 o’clock.
Example #2
東京から大阪まで行きます。
Furigana: とうきょうからおおさかまでいきます。
Romaji: Toukyou kara Oosaka made ikimasu.
English: I will go from Tokyo to Osaka.
Example #3
いつまで日本にいますか。
Furigana: いつまでにほんにいますか。
Romaji: Itsu made Nihon ni imasu ka?
English: Until when will you be in Japan?
Example #4
駅まで歩きましょう。
Furigana: えきまであるきましょう。
Romaji: Eki made arukimashou.
English: Let’s walk to the station.
Example #5
明日まで待ってください。
Furigana: あしたまでまってください。
Romaji: Ashita made matte kudasai.
English: Please wait until tomorrow.
Example #6
夏休みは昨日まででした。
Furigana: なつやすみはきのうまででした。
Romaji: Natsuyasumi wa kinou made deshita.
English: Summer vacation was until yesterday.
Example #7
家まで送ります。
Furigana: いえまでおくります。
Romaji: Ie made okurimasu.
English: I will see you home (lit: send you to your house).
Example #8
終わりまで本を読みました。
Furigana: おわりまでほんをよみました。
Romaji: Owari made hon o yomimashita.
English: I read the book until the end.
Example #9
学校まで自転車で10分です。
Furigana: がっこうまでじてんしゃでじっぷんです。
Romaji: Gakkou made jitensha de jippun desu.
English: It takes 10 minutes by bicycle to the school.
Example #10
ゆうべは12時まで勉強しました。
Furigana: ゆうべはじゅうにじまでべんきょうしました。
Romaji: Yuube wa juuniji made benkyou shimashita.
English: I studied until 12 o’clock last night.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Distance/Extent
‘Made’ can describe distance as well as time.
Example: ここから駅まで 500メートルです。
Verb connection
When used with a verb, it must be in the dictionary form (plain form).
Example: 寝るまで本を読みました。

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 3時まで来てください。 (Incorrect if you mean ‘By 3:00’)
✅ 3時までに来てください。
‘Made’ indicates a continuous action until a point. ‘Made ni’ indicates a deadline by which a single action must be completed.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. It can be used in both polite (~desu/~masu) and casual forms.
Social Situations: Essential for making appointments and describing commutes.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

まで (made) vs までに (made ni)
‘Made’ is for continuous duration (until). ‘Made ni’ is for a deadline (by/no later than).
When to use: Use ‘made’ for ‘staying’ or ‘working’; use ‘made ni’ for ‘submitting’ or ‘arriving’.

📝 Conjugation Notes

‘Made’ is a particle and does not conjugate. It directly follows nouns or the dictionary form of verbs.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced as two short syllables: ‘ma’ and ‘de’. Avoid stretching the ‘e’ sound.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘Made’ as a wall or a finish line. You keep going until you hit the ‘Made’ point.

Other Grammar

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