まで: 'Until' / 'To' an End Point (Meaning + Examples)
What it means
まで answers the question "up to where?" or "until when?" It attaches to a noun — a time or a place — and marks the end point of an action or a stretch of time. Think of it as the English words "until," "till," or "to (as far as)." The action keeps going continuously right up to that point and then stops.
ヤッタンは5時まで待ちました。
ヤッタンは ごじまで まちました。
Yattan waited until 5 o'clock.
まで = up to that time, then the waiting ends.
モチは駅まで歩きます。
モチは えきまで あるきます。
Mochi walks to the station.
まで = as far as the station.
先生は夜までここにいます。
せんせいは よるまで ここに います。
The teacher is here until night.
How to form it
まで attaches directly to a noun (a time or a place). No other change is needed.
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 〔time〕+ まで | 3時まで = until 3 o'clock |
| Place | 〔place〕+ まで | 学校まで = to (as far as) school |
| From…to | 〔start〕から + 〔end〕まで | 朝から夜まで = from morning to night |
With から — "from … to …"
まで very often teams up with から ("from"). Together they frame a range with a clear start and finish — whether in time or in space. The から part comes first, then まで.
ヤッタンは9時から5時まで勉強しました。
ヤッタンは くじから ごじまで べんきょうしました。
Yattan studied from 9 to 5.
から marks the start, まで marks the end.
東京から大阪まで新幹線で行きます。
とうきょうから おおさかまで しんかんせんで いきます。
I'll go from Tokyo to Osaka by bullet train.
弟は月曜日から金曜日まで学校に行きます。
おとうとは げつようびから きんようびまで がっこうに いきます。
My little brother goes to school from Monday to Friday.
You can read more about the starting-point partner in the から guide.
まで vs までに — "until" vs "by"
These two look almost identical, but they mean different things. Keep them straight:
- まで = something continues the whole way up to that point. 5時まで働く means you work the entire time until 5.
- までに = a deadline — finish something by that point, at any moment before it. 5時までに帰る means "come home by 5" (anytime before 5 is fine).
So まで is for continuous actions (waiting, walking, staying), while までに is for one-time actions that must happen before a cutoff (finish, return, send). We will not go deep on までに here — just remember that adding に turns "until" into "by."
ヤッタンは3時まで本を読みます。
ヤッタンは さんじまで ほんを よみます。
Yattan reads a book until 3 (the whole time).
Continuous action → まで.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up まで and までに. Use まで for continuous actions (5時まで待つ = wait until 5) and までに for deadlines (5時までに出す = submit by 5).
- Forgetting から for a range. "From 9 to 5" needs both: 9時から5時まで, not just 5時まで.
- Using に instead of まで for a destination you travel toward gradually. "Walk to the station" stresses the whole journey up to the station: 駅まで歩く. (に simply points at the goal.)
- Putting まで before the noun. It always comes after the time or place word: 駅まで (✓), not まで駅.
Quick recap
- まで = an end point: "until" (time) or "to / as far as" (place).
- It attaches after a noun: 5時まで, 駅まで.
- Pair with から for "from…to": 9時から5時まで.
- まで = continuous up to a point; までに = a deadline ("by").
Your turn
Choose the correct use of まで (and から…まで).
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
What does まで mean?
まで marks an end point — 'until' for time (5時まで = until 5) or 'to / as far as' for place (駅まで = to the station). The action continues right up to that point.
What's the difference between まで and までに?
まで is for continuous actions up to a point (5時まで待つ = wait until 5). までに is a deadline — finish by that point at any earlier moment (5時までに帰る = come home by 5).
How do I say 'from … to …' in Japanese?
Use から for the start and まで for the end: 9時から5時まで ('from 9 to 5'), 東京から大阪まで ('from Tokyo to Osaka').
Does まで go before or after the noun?
Always after. It attaches directly to the time or place word: 駅まで, 夜まで. Never まで駅.