Japanese Grammar: までに (made ni) – Setting Deadlines and Time Limits

Japanese Grammar: までに (made ni) – Setting Deadlines and Time Limits
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘By’ or ‘By the time’.

🎯 Primary Function

To indicate a deadline or time limit for a single action.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Dictionary Form) + までに
N/A (Typically used with Verbs or Nouns)
N/A (Typically used with Verbs or Nouns)
N/A (Usually focuses on completing an action positively by a deadline)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Essential for business communication when discussing deadlines, submissions, and meeting times.

😊 Informal Situations

Used when making plans with friends or setting personal goals.

✍️ Written Language

Frequently found in emails, notices, and schedules to indicate cutoff times.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Commonly used in daily conversations to set expectations for timing.

💡 Common Applications

Work Deadlines
Used to specify when a task or document must be finished.
Example: 金曜日までに資料を完成させてください。
Appointments
Setting a time limit for arrival or meeting.
Example: 10時までに駅に来てください。
Future Milestones
Indicating a goal to be achieved before a certain age or life stage.
Example: 30歳までに結婚したいです。
📊
Frequency
Very High
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N4 (Lower Intermediate)
Example Sentences
Example #1
5時までに帰ってください。
Furigana: 5じまでに かえってください。
Romaji: Goji made ni kaette kudasai.
English: Please return home by 5 o’clock.
Example #2
来週の月曜日までにレポートを出してください。
Furigana: らいしゅうの げつようびまでに レポートを だしてください。
Romaji: Raishuu no getsuyoubi made ni repooto o dashite kudasai.
English: Please submit the report by next Monday.
Example #3
明日までにこの本を読んでしまいます。
Furigana: あしたまでに このほんを よんでしまいます。
Romaji: Ashita made ni kono hon o yonde shimaimasu.
English: I will finish reading this book by tomorrow.
Example #4
会議が始まるまでに準備をしておきます。
Furigana: かいぎが はじまるまでに じゅんびを しておきます。
Romaji: Kaigi ga hajimaru made ni junbi o shite okimasu.
English: I will prepare before the meeting starts.
Example #5
日本へ行くまでに漢字を覚えたいです。
Furigana: にほんへ いくまでに かんじを おぼえたいです。
Romaji: Nihon e iku made ni kanji o oboetai desu.
English: I want to memorize Kanji by the time I go to Japan.
Example #6
Rokugatsu made ni kuruma o kau tsumori desu.
Furigana: ろくがつまでに くるまを かうつもりです。
Romaji:
English: I intend to buy a car by June.
Example #7
寝るまでに宿題を終わらせます。
Furigana: ねるまでに しゅくだいを おわらせます。
Romaji: Neru made ni shukudai o owarasemasu.
English: I will finish my homework by the time I go to bed.
Example #8
10時までにここに来てください。
Furigana: 10じまでに ここにきてください。
Romaji: Juuji made ni koko ni kite kudasai.
English: Please be here by 10 o’clock.
Example #9
卒業するまでに旅行に行きたい。
Furigana: そつぎょうするまでに りょこうに いきたい。
Romaji: Sotsugyou suru made ni ryokou ni ikitai.
English: I want to go on a trip by the time I graduate.
Example #10
晩ご飯までに戻ります。
Furigana: ばんごはんまでに もどります。
Romaji: Bangohan made ni modorimasu.
English: I’ll be back by dinner time.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Point of Completion
It refers to a point in time before which an action must be completed, not the duration.
Example: 3時までに終わらせます。 (I will finish it by 3.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 5時まで帰ります。 (I will return until 5.)
✅ 5時までに帰ります。 (I will return by 5.)
‘Made’ means ‘until’ (continuing until 5), ‘Made ni’ means ‘by’ (one-time action completed before 5).

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral, but often used with ‘kudasai’ in polite requests or ‘shimasu’ in professional commitments.
Social Situations: Crucial in Japanese culture where punctuality and meeting deadlines are highly valued.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

まで (made) vs までに (made ni)
‘Made’ indicates a continuous action lasting until a point; ‘Made ni’ indicates a single action occurring at any time before that point.
When to use: Use ‘made’ for ‘Wait until 5’ and ‘made ni’ for ‘Finish by 5’.

📝 Conjugation Notes

When used with verbs, always use the dictionary form (plain form). When used with nouns, it is attached directly (Time Noun + までに).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The particle ‘ni’ is short and usually slightly lower in pitch than the preceding ‘made’.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘ni’ as a pin pointing to a specific time on a clock. ‘Made’ is the stretch of time leading up to it, but ‘Made ni’ is the deadline pin.

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